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Irish foreign minister’s youngest daughter dies

Tragic loss of seven-year-old Leana Martin

ANTOINETTE KELLY,

IrishCentral.com Staff Writer

Published Saturday, October 30, 2010, 7:32 AM

Updated Tuesday, November 2, 2010, 11:40 AM

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Michael Martin, Ireland's Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Seven-year-old Léana Martin, daughter of Ireland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Micheal Martin, has died after a short illness.

Martin’s youngest daughter died at Great Ormonde Street Hospital in London on Friday. Her parents were at her beside.

Her parents, Micheal and Mary, say that they are heartbroken by the loss and described their daughter as “a beautiful light” in their lives. The couple have one other daughter and two sons.

On October 11, Leana was admitted to Crumlin Children’s Hospital and was transferred to the London hospital earlier this week. She was suffering from a heart complaint.

The Martins also lost a child several years ago soon after birth. They have requested privacy while they grieve.

Prime Minister Brian Cowen stated last night: "I just want to convey on my own behalf and on behalf of all my colleagues our sincere sympathy, solidarity and support to Micheal and Mary and their children at this time.

"The loss of their beloved Leana is a very difficult cross to bear . . . for any family. He has our sympathy at this time."

President Mary McAleese said she was deeply saddened by the news. “Leana’s death is an unbearable loss for her parents Micheal and Mary, her brothers and sister and the wider Martin clan,” she said.

“I know the people of Ireland will feel immense sympathy for the Martin family as they face this devastating bereavement.

“I have conveyed my heartfelt sympathies, and those of my husband Martin and family, to Micheal and Mary.

“We are keeping them all in our thoughts and prayers at this very sad time.”

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FergalMalone | Feb 03, 2011, 10:58 PM EST

Just after reading the comments by GeorgeDillon. I really hope you are not Irish. You must be one of the most despicable human beings I have ever encountered. Using Leana Martins tragic death as a tool to slag of Fianna Fail is low. Shame on you.

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bogsidebunny | Nov 03, 2010, 05:57 AM EDT

Mr GeorgeDillon, Sadly, I concur with your wife's observations I had the very same experience at several Irish "Public" hospitals. Their conditions are LESS than third world. Dirty, poorly staffed and occupied by more "nasty" drunks than there are cockroaches in a lower Manhattan flop-house. I did attend The Blackrock Clinic on the South side of Dublin (a "Private" hospital) and it was like heaven. Bright, clean and efficient. Very similar to several hospitals I've been to in the U.S.A. Of course you need Health care insurance. So the old rule you only get what you pay for applies.

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antoman | Nov 02, 2010, 05:05 PM EDT

@georgyboy..did she died?

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GeorgeDillon | Nov 02, 2010, 04:22 PM EDT

My wife, who is a physician, experienced a medical emergency while we were visiting Dublin a couple of years back. My wife was horrified by the quality of care she received at St Vincent's, one of Dublin's leading hospitals. The Emergency area was dirty, with no soap in the bathroom. We were glad this was not during the nightime, when the drunks arrive and the bathrooms become a filthy disgrace. The consulting doctor was an African, whom my wife (and I) could barely understand. Worst of all, a filipino nurse tried to take my wife's blood pressure, AND DIDN"T KNOW HOW TO!!! My wife had to show her how to take a blood pressure reading. The dcotor wanted to admit my wife and do some tests, but my wife said "Get me to hell out of here", and we caught the first available flight out, anything to escape Death Valley Dublin style. I advise all Americans visiting Ireland who are unlucky enough to get sick or have an accident to devise an escape plan.

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GeorgeDillon | Nov 02, 2010, 03:10 PM EDT

You're right O'Dowd. I was disgusted that the Fianna Fail apologists used this thread as an excuse to peddle their propaganda. Seems they think the death of this Fianna Fail leader's child is sadder than the deaths of the many children who have died as a result of Fianna Fail policies. Case in point the poor boy in Martin's own Cork who, according to last week's newspapers, was allowed languish in agony for six months because Fianna Fail's health "system" couldn't distinguish colic from childhood leukemia. None of the Fianna Failers here, including the poster carlasteven, expessed any sorrow for that death. They should be ashamed of themselves.

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carlasteven | Nov 01, 2010, 09:55 PM EDT

I agree Niall O' Dowd. Hence my responce below. I just cant understand how people can be so horrible.

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Niall O'Dowd | Nov 01, 2010, 04:44 PM EDT

I think we should stop the hostile comments. The tragic death of a child is an unbearable tragedy for the parents and our thoughts should be with them . Nothing else matters compared to that

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antoman | Nov 01, 2010, 04:39 PM EDT

'one' is returned to whence 'one' came..does 'one' raise 'one's' pinky when drinking tae?.There there georgy boy it'll be alright,one can't help it if one has painted one's self into a corner.

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GeorgeDillon | Nov 01, 2010, 04:11 PM EDT

"returning you from whence you came"???? That's garbled nonsense--are you illiterate? One is returned TO whence one came. Looks like you're a product of the Fianna Fail "education" system! Go take an English language course before you pollute this site.

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antoman | Nov 01, 2010, 02:15 PM EDT

-georgedillon..May the worms of a thousand goats infest your belly, and when you are all but skin and bones, a little girl of seven and a future fianna fail politician can lift and drop you from a bridge,,thus returning you from whence you came.

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GeorgeDillon | Nov 01, 2010, 01:30 PM EDT

So how come the Fianna Failers here don't care about all the Irish workers who didn't have the money to seek medical care for their families abroad? No expressions of sadness or regret from the clowns' chorus for these. They're just the Irish poor, they're not as important as the children of Fianna Fail capos. To take one example of dozens, what about the baby in the papers a day or two ago who was misdiagnosed (probably by a graduate of BanglaDesh State College who was given permission to practice--that's the relevant word!!--medicine with all the other ill-trained Asian and African "doctors" that Fianna Fail welcomed into Ireland). The baby suffered agony for six months while the stupid doctors, and the stupid health care system created by Fianna Fail, told the parents that he was suffering from colic. Then the baby died, and the parents were told there had been a slight mistake--he had childhood leukemia all along. Any one with the slightest training in medicine knows to check for leukemia in these cases, but the stupid fools, native and foreign, who operate the Irish system didn't. Thanks, Fianna Fail. You still have your useful idiots, such as the poster Carlasteven who tells me she hates me. Listen, Carlasteven, you can hate me till Judgment Day if you like, but your hate will never match the hatred most Irish people feel for your Fianna Fail fools, frauds and gangsters.

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GeorgeDillon | Nov 01, 2010, 01:26 PM EDT

My, look how the Fianna Failers creep out of their coffins when they get a chance! Wwe thought they were politically dead--turns out out they are not alive, just undead. None of them address the point I made, so I will spell it out again for these illiterates. Minister Martin, a head honcho in Fianna Fail for years, indeed one who could be termed a capo in that particular Mafia, had so little confidence in the health system he and his garbage buddies in Fianna Fail have created, that he went off to London looking for treatment for his child. And of course I do regret the death of that child. She was innocent of wrong-doing. Ar dheis De go raibh a h-anam. Her lousy father certainly is not guiltless, since he is a leading member of the group of fools, frauds and gangsters that have brought Ireland to ruin. This creep has a particular responsibility, since he was Minister for Public Health for several years and presided over the creation of the death-trap that is the Irish health "system" (sic).

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norinalundy | Oct 31, 2010, 08:24 PM EDT

There are no words that can heal the hearts of The Martins at this time - my thoughts and prayers are with them. By the same token, there are no words that can describe the kind of idiot that George Dillon is.

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Dublinjas | Oct 31, 2010, 11:53 AM EDT

As a father of daughters I can only imagine the grief and sadness and sorrow of losing a child of seven who you have loved and adored from a little baby whose diapers you have changed who you have dressed and set off and who had you in stitches as a terrible two year old three year old and so on, from her wide eyes of excitement on her first day at pre school where that four hours seemed oh too long to be separated from her to the real thing and that first day at school ...her little pony lunch bucket her little red riding hood coat and her favorite yellow boots all the things that make up the life of a dearly loved baby girl. and very soon they own your heart entirely. My Extreme heartfelt sympathies and prayers are with the Martin Family in this terrible hour of grief.

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antoman | Oct 31, 2010, 09:35 AM EDT

georgedillon is a troll and a leaker,continually wiping his arse and mouth with the same rag.Certainly not Irish.My condolences to Minister Martin and his family.

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