Michael Neary (surgeon)

Michael Neary (surgeon)

Michael Neary is a retired Irish consultant obstetrician/gynecologist. He gained notoriety when it was discovered that he had performed what was considered an inordinate number of caesarian hysterectomies during his time at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda, County Louth. He was suspended by the Irish Medical Council in 1999 pending their investigations, and then struck off the Register of Medical Practitioners in 2003. As a result of the Medical Council's investigation, which discovered a number of alarming aspects to the case, an inquiry was set up in April 2004 by the then Minister for Health and Children, Micheál Martin to investigate the matter. Their report was made public by the Tánaiste, and Minister for Health Mary Harney in February 2006. The Lourdes Hospital Inquiry report was written by Judge Maureen Harding-Clarke, a prominent Irish judge. She and her team interviewed Dr. Neary himself, most hospital staff in Drogheda and various action groups and patients.

During the inquiry, Judge Harding-Clarke's offices were broken into at least three times, she has said.

Her report repeated many findings of the Medical Council's investigation (which she criticised for taking too long), but delved much deeper into Dr. Neary's actions, and those of his colleagues.