Every year on March 17, people around the world celebrate St. Patrick, one of Ireland's patron saints. Patrick, a Christian missionary from Britain, escaped captivity from pirates who forced him into enslaved shepherd work, tending to animals on Irish farms. After returning home, Patrick had a dream in which an angel told him to return to Ireland, a primarily pagan state at the time, as a missionary. After being ordained as a Catholic priest, Patrick returned to Ireland, where he spent the rest of his religious life converting many to Christianity.
Patrick’s success at spreading Christianity throughout Ireland is due, in part, to his novel approach of integrating Irish cultural norms, which he had become familiar with during his incarceration, into Christan practices. For example, Patrick fused an image of the sun, representing eternity to pagans whose worship practices were often rooted in nature, onto Christian crosses. This fusion, known as the 'Celtic cross', became a powerful symbol that eased many pagans into learning Christian lessons. Patrick also used the three-leaved shamrock, a sacred plant to the Irish who believed it symbolized the start of spring, to preach Christian lessons about the Holy Trinity: the Father, Son, and holy spirit. This use of the shamrock as a teaching tool further endeared Patrick to the Irish people and facilitated their acceptance of Christianity.
March 17, a day believed to be the date of Patrick’s death, has evolved into a vibrant celebration of Irish culture, both within Ireland and around the world. Catholic celebrations to honor St. Patrick date back to the ninth century. Modern St. Patrick’s Day festivities often include parades, a practice that dates back to 1601 in the Spanish-controlled area now known as St. Augustine, Florida.
In honor of today’s celebration of all things Irish, we took the opportunity to reflect on an important figure in Ireland’s efforts in cancer research: Professor Gerald (Gerry) O’Sullivan. In 1995, Gerry put together a group of researchers focused on understanding cancer and how to treat the disease. The group operated in an abandoned laboratory space in the basement of Mercy Hospital in Cork and became known as “CRAM” (Cancer Research at Mercy Hospital). Gerry’s vision grew to include important work on cancer metastasis and advanced, difficult-to-treat malignancies.
Born and raised in County Cork, Gerry began his academic career studying mathematics at University College, Cork. Within two weeks, he changed his mind, switched to study medicine, and completed his Bachelor of Medicine in 1969. Gerry continued his training in various academic and medical centers across Ireland, England, and North America. He returned to Cork in 1980, when he received a surgical fellowship from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. After completing his fellowship at Mercy Hospital, he worked in the Middle East for two years, during which time he established a kidney transplant program at Baghdad Hospital.
Gerry returned to Mercy Hospital, where he was appointed consultant general surgeon. Gerry quickly earned the respect of his colleagues, who recognized his ingenuity in developing novel surgical procedures for gastrointestinal procedures. His expertise eventually shifted towards esophageal cancer, and Gerry eventually became the consultant gastroesophageal surgeon at Mercy Hospital.
At the time when Gerry became an esophageal cancer specialist, the vast majority of patients didn’t live more than five years past diagnosis. Gerry saw a need to promote cancer research focusing on both surgical and drug development approaches, believing this would be the only way to truly make an impact on the lives of cancer patients.
Gerry’s colleagues and other leaders in the field quickly recognized the importance of CRAM, which evolved into a cancer research center. In 1999, Gerry became the founding director of the newly established Cork Cancer Research Center (CCRC). Funded through philanthropy and the Irish government, CCRC directly linked clinicians treating cancer patients directly with researchers studying cancer. CCRC pioneered research on leukemia, esophageal, breast, kidney and colon cancer.
Shortly before Gerry died in 2012, a charity, “Breakthrough Cancer Research” was launched, expanding CCRC’s efforts nationwide. Gerry lived to see the makeshift research group he initiated in a dusty hospital basement evolve into a national forum to improve cancer patients' lives throughout Ireland and beyond.
Sources: Dictionary of Irish Biography, Breakthrough Cancer Research
