Eilish Cleary

Eilish Cleary
Cleary's obituary photograph
Chief Medical Officer of Health (New Brunswick)
In office August 30, 2007 – December 7, 2015
Preceded by	Wayne MacDonald
Succeeded by	Jennifer Russell
Personal details
Born	(1963-10-22)October 22, 1963 Dublin, Ireland
Died	March 22, 2024(2024-03-22) (aged 60) Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada
Spouse	Gerard Beirne ​ ​ (m. 1989; div. 2015)​
Domestic partner	Paul Meyer
Children	4
Education	Trinity College Dublin

Eilish Cleary (October 22, 1963 – March 22, 2024) was an Irish-born Canadian physician, health officer and public health advocate who served as the Chief Medical Officer of Health in New Brunswick from 2007 until her termination in 2015 under a controversial decision by the provincial government. Shortly before her dismissal, she was studying glyphosate, a herbicide that is used in the province and has been characterized as potentially being carcinogenic to humans.

Born in Dublin, Cleary became the country's youngest doctor upon graduating from Trinity College. She later moved to Canada where she served as a public health official in Manitoba before moving to New Brunswick to work there. After her termination, Cleary worked as a public health official for other provinces until her death in 2024 from ovarian cancer. She received multiple awards and honors throughout her career, including the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal as well as appointments to various institutions such as the University of Manitoba and the University of New Brunswick.