TRIBUTES have been paid to a young Irish woman who died while holidaying with a friend in the Philippines.
Meg Haugh died “suddenly, in the company of her good friend Tessa while exploring the beautiful Philippines” her family have confirmed.
The Cork native, who hailed from Blackrock, had been working as a doctor in Australia and was reportedly due to return to Ireland in the coming weeks.
She died on Thursday, May 2 after experiencing chest pains while on a canyoneering expedition in the Badian area of southwest Cebu.
The 26-year-old was brought to the local hospital but pronounced dead a short time later.
Confirming her death, her parents Richard and Kathyrn said “Meg will always be remembered by her loving parents, siblings, grandfather, aunts, uncles, cousins, great friends and wonderful neighbours”.
Tributes have flooded in since her death, with former colleagues at the Joondalup Health Campus in Western Australia, remembering her as an “excellent doctor”.
“She worked with us for nearly two years and will always be remembered as bubbly and cheerful running around the wards in her blue scrubs,” they said.
“She was an excellent doctor, loved and respected by all. May she rest in peace,” she added.
Former college friends, who studied with Ms Haugh at University College Cork (UCC), have also paid tribute.
“From studying with her in college in UCC, she really was a wonderful person in every way- kind, genuine and always happy to help,” Iona Tobin said.
“She will be deeply missed.”
Sinead Flynn, who also studied at UCC with Ms Haugh, said: “I had the pleasure of working with her in CUH phlebotomy while we were UCC students.
“I will always remember her bubbly, kind and generous nature, she was always eager to help however she could.”
Ms Haugh leaves behind her parents and siblings Sally, Marty and William.
Her funeral Mass will take place at St Michael’s Church in Blackrock at 1pm on Sunday, May 11, with burial afterwards at St Michael’s Cemetry.