Sadness as Air Ambulance and Mercy fundraising chief passes away

Many in the frontline of health care in Cork are in shock this morning following the news that Micheál Sheridan has passed away after a short battle with cancer.

Mr Sheridan was a very well-known and respected figure, who had worked to establish and run the Community Air Ambulance, based in Cork and Ireland’s first charity-funded air ambulance service, with a highly dedicated and skilled team, and had also worked with the Mercy Hospital Foundation on Leeside, raising significant amounts of money to support the hospital.

He returned to his role as CEO of the foundation in January of this year. However, his time there was short, as his colleagues at the Mercy University Hospital Foundation announced this morning.

In a statement, they said: “On behalf of the Mercy University Hospital Foundation’s Board of Directors and the entire fundraising team, we extend our deepest sympathies to Micheál’s family – his wife Claire, and their four sons Éanna, Rían, Finn and Caelán; as well as to Micheál’s mother Marie, and siblings Darina, Noírín, Sean and Niall.

“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.”

Micheál first joined the Foundation in 2007 as its first employee, and saw the Foundation grow to become one of the leading hospital foundations in the country. In 2021 Micheál left the Foundation to become CEO of Irish Community Air Ambulance, where he spent three years.

In January this year, we were privileged to have Micheál return to the Foundation as CEO, 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’.

His funeral arrangements will be announced shortly.