Pearl Phelan

Pearl Phelan, Sr Joseph Ignatius (11 February 1921 – 4 December 2010) was a nurse and pioneer of person-centred hospice care, known to many as "Aunt Pearl". In her role at Our Lady's Hospice in Harold's Cross, Dublin, she modernised the facility and transformed end-of-life and palliative care. She introduced the hospice Home Care service so people could die in their own homes. For her initiatives in enabling people to "live life to the full, control their symptoms so they are freed from pain and fear of pain", she received the People of the Year Award in 1987.

Phelan was showing visitors from Minnesota, who wanted to set up a similar hospice in the US, around Our Lady's Hospice when they asked a patient called Lily what made the hospice special. Lily replied "Stella there likes her tea cool and weak, I like mine hot and strong. And that's the way we get it." He described Phelan's "strong sense of sheer goodness". The citation for the award described their achievements as "a modern day miracle". She was surrounded by members of her family and religious community.