Life of Gweedore man and Foyle Hospice founder Dr Tom McGinley in new book

A new book celebrating the life of Gweedore native Dr Tom McGinley, the founder of the Foyle Hospice, is to be launched in Derry.

Written by his colleague Dr Keith Munro, the launch is taking place in St Columb’s Hall in the city, on Wednesday, January 29 at 7.15pm.

Dr McGinley was raised in the Gaeltacht village of Derrybeg, in west Donegal. 

According to Dr Munro, during his years of education, from Derrybeg to St Eunan’s College in Letterkenny and then University College Galway, Dr McGinley satisfied his enthusiasms for Gaelic football and dancing. 

“Then, by chance, he decided to study medicine at University College Galway,” said Dr Munro.

“Once qualified, Dr Tom worked as a houseman in Altnagelvin Hospital in Derry. That was during the early 1960s. 

“He met the love-of-his-life, Deirdre, in Borderland dance hall in Muff, County Donegal. Once married he settled into family life in January 1963 and into general practice on Strand Road with Dr Peter Fallon and Dr Denis Cavanagh. 

“Trying desperately to control the severe pain of a young man dying at home from bone cancer, and feeling he had utterly failed, Tom determined never to allow this to happen to anyone else. 

“Recovering in 1966, from what might have been a fatal medical condition, he resolved, during the 1970s, to get fit and to qualify in anaesthetics, specialising in pain control. This he achieved by 1978,” said Dr Munro.

Dr Keith Munro, author of Dr Tom McGinley: Founder of the Foyle Hospice.

It was during the 1980s Dr McGinley determined that the North-West of Ireland needed a hospice.

According to Dr Munro, he first set out to establish a Palliative Homecare Service for those with a terminal illness and then to open an Inpatient Unit. 

“These dreams were realised on June 20, 1991,” said Dr Munro.

“Foyle Hospice has been growing and developing for more than 40 years. To date more than 16,000 patients have been cared for in the community or in the Inpatient Unit, during their final days.

“Tom retired as chairman of the trustees in 2010 and died in the Hospice on January 29, 2021, following a stroke. 

“By then Deirdre had predeceased him by some eighteen years. Both are survived by their four children, Ciarán, Aisling, Rónán and Sinéad,” said Dr Munro.

Dr Munro said he was driven to write his book because he felt “Tom and his legacy must never be forgotten”.

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He explained: “I realised last year, on the third anniversary of Tom’s death [January 29, 2021], if I did a survey of 1,000 people in the area and said, ‘Have you heard of Foyle Hospice?’probably the 1,000 people would say ‘Yes’ but if I said, ‘Do you know anything about Tom McGinley who founded it?’ then you would find maybe 200 or 300 would say ‘Yes’.

“In fact, 22,000 people have died, either at home with Hospice care or in the Hospice, over about 40 years. There are thousands of people around who remember a family member going into Foyle Hospice.

“The whole scenario of palliative care changed, that’s what Tom introduced - especially the syringe driver to ease pain.

“So, I said to myself, ‘I think I should write a book focusing more on Tom specifically,” said Dr Munroe.

Dr Munro and Ciaran McGinley, Dr McGinley’s eldest son, visited his grave on his third anniversary.

“We said some prayers and I said to Ciaran, ‘I’m going to write a book about your dad’. 

“I wanted to do it so this generation and future generations will not forget this doctor and this gargantuan task that he had set himself.

“I linked up with Tom’s daughter, Aisling and the other source I used was a family book that was written for him. 

“I would describe writing this book as a labour of love. I respected Tom highly. He had this driving force and he knew that he had to do this. 

“He changed the whole mindset of doctors and nurses in the area about palliative care, from a time when he and I in general practice saw patients die in pain or experiencing other symptoms such as nausea, at home or in hospital, to a situation where nobody died in pain.”

Dr Tom McGinley: Founder of the Foyle Hospice costs £15. It will be on sale at the launch. All proceeds from the book are going to Foyle Hospice. On the night Dr Munro will only be able to accept cash. 

Please note, because seating in St Columb’s Hall is limited, everyone who is attending is asked to book in advance. This can be done at the following links: TicketSource or St Columb's Hall or by using the QR code.