Moving tributes paid to the late Micheál Sheridan

Tributes have been paid to the late Micheál Sheridan, chief executive of the Mercy University Hospital Foundation, who has passed away after a brief battle with cancer.

Mr Sheridan, who was 51, was well known in Cork for his work with the charity, where he helped to raise millions for the hospital’s cancer services.

He first joined the foundation in 2007 as its first employee, and a spokesperson for the foundation said he saw it grow to become one of the leading hospital foundations in the country. In 2021, he left the foundation to become chief executive of Irish Community Air Ambulance, where he spent three years. Earlier this year, he was appointed chief executive of the foundation.

In a statement issued yesterday, the Mercy University Hospital Foundation paid tribute to its chief executive.

Tribute

“While no words can adequately express our deep sorrow at losing our leader, the foundation’s team is profoundly grateful for having had the opportunity to know, work with, and learn from Micheál.

“Having worked in the not-for-profit sector in Ireland for over 25 years, Micheál was always passionate about the role that charities play in improving the lives of people across the island of Ireland.

“He has had a huge impact across all of the many organisations and projects he was involved in, and leaves behind a tremendous legacy of positivity and change,” said a spokesperson for the foundation.

“In January this year, we were privileged to have Micheál return to the foundation as chief executive officer, and in the short time we had him back, he continued to focus on delivering real, impactful, and positive changes for patients at the Mercy.”

Mr Sheridan spoke publicly about his illness in recent weeks, including in a moving interview with PJ Coogan on The Opinion Line on Cork’s 96FM. Mr Sheridan described how he had suffered from shoulder pains over last summer, and, after a car accident in September, he had gone for scans.

Scan

A CT scan in the Mercy University Hospital revealed shadows on his liver, and a subsequent colonoscopy revealed that bowel cancer had spread to his liver.

“I went from being worried and well to being unwell and worried, very quickly, in about a week,” he said. 

Reflecting on months of chemotherapy, pain-blocking sessions, and various treatments, he noted the irony of his going from advocate to patient.

“I used to talk about what it must feel like to have cancer. Now I know.”

Asked by PJ Coogan how cancer did feel, Mr Sheridan replied: “Oh, it feels terrible. It feels tiring. My own experience of it is tiredness, fatigue, weight loss, struggling some days to get out of bed, you just would rather curl up in a ball, but you can’t. There’s days when you’re scared beyond what you would have ever expected to experience.”

His voice breaking, Mr Sheridan said he found himself thinking about his loved ones and how they would be after he was gone.

“You sit at the dinner table and you look around the table and you just want to check in your own way that everybody will be OK.

“I have responsibilities, I have a job, I have a family, the last thing I want for them is to see their dad rolled up in a ball,” he said.

“It’s not how you want them to see you, it’s not how I want them to see me.”

David Tighe, chief executive of the Irish Community Air Ambulance, which is now known as Critical, said: “He worked tirelessly to help communities in Cork and around the country and his work will be remembered by all the volunteers, staff and trustees of Critical. 

"On behalf of the team I would like to express our sincerest condolences to his wife, children, family, friends and his colleagues at the Mercy Hospital Foundation.”

Mr Sheridan is survived by his wife Claire, their four sons Éanna, Rían, Finn, and Caelán, his mother Marie, and siblings Darina, Noírín, Sean, and Niall.