Cervical cancer campaigner Vicky Phelan dies

Vicky Phelan died on Monday morning at Milford Hospice in Limerick

Cervical cancer campaigner Vicky Phelan has died at the age of 48.

Ms Phelan was diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2014.

She had undergone a smear test in 2011 showing no abnormalities, before her diagnosis three years later.

Ms Phelan then exposed the CervicalCheck screening scandal in Ireland after discovering she was not told she had been given incorrect smear test results.

She was named as one of the BBC's 100 women in 2018.

Irish President Michael D Higgins is among many who have paid tribute to Ms Phelan, who he said had made an "enormous contribution to Irish society".

"All of us who had the privilege of meeting Vicky will have been struck by the powerful inner strength and dignity with which she not only faced her own illness, but with the sense of commitment to the public good and the rights of others with which she campaigned.

"Thanks to her tireless efforts, despite the terrible personal toll she herself had to carry, so many women's lives have been protected, and will be protected in the future."

In April 2018, Ms Phelan settled a High Court action for €2.5m (£2.1m) with Clinical Pathology Labs US, without admission of liability.

But she refused to sign a non-disclosure agreement and it was discovered that hundreds of women could have benefitted from earlier treatment.

An internal CervicalCheck audit found the original smear check result to be wrong.

• Vicky Phelan: The woman who changed Ireland

• The woman who exposed an Irish health scandal

She travelled on a number of occasions to the United States for treatment.

A documentary of her life called Vicky was screened recently.

Ms Phelan was born in Waterford in 1974 and lived in Limerick.

She died on Monday morning at Milford Hospice in the city.

Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Micheál Martin also paid tribute to Ms Phelan, calling her a woman of "extraordinary courage and integrity".

Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald extended her condolences and said Ms Phelan was an "inspiration to us all".   The 221+ CervicalCheck Patient Support Group, which represents women and families affected by Ireland’s cervical cancer controversy, said it had lost “our biggest big sister”.

In a statement, the group said. “She told us this day would come but she fought so hard and so well that we couldn’t let ourselves think it would happen.

“Vicky raised her voice in 2018 because she wanted those in power, those with responsibility to learn from their mistakes."