Tributes have been paid to heart surgeon Eoin O'Malley, who has died at the age of 88.
Mr O'Malley was a former president of the Royal College of Surgeons and served as professor of surgery in UCD for 30 years.
Mr O'Malley's late wife, Una O'Higgins-O'Malley, was a writer and founder-member of the Glencree Centre for Reconciliation. His father-in-law was Kevin O'Higgins, who was assassinated by members of the IRA in 1927.
Cardiac surgeon Maurice Neligan said: "Eoin was one of the pioneers of cardiac surgery in Ireland. He was a quiet and dignified man, an excellent surgeon and a great teacher."
Mr O'Malley was born in Galway and studied at UCG. He joined the Mater Hospital as surgeon in 1950 and became professor of surgery in UCD in 1958. He was subsequently appointed the first director of the National Cardiac Surgical Unit at the Mater Hospital.
