The late Chuck Feeney

“Chuck Feeney was a unique man. He was warm and generous with a gentle, playful sense of humour. Proud of his Irish roots, he recognised that healthcare, services and research in ageing were lacking in Ireland and the sector was struggling for recognition and investment. He was persuaded by Profs Davis Coakley and Bernard Walsh, to invest in physical and manpower infrastructure at St James’s Hospital, the first steps towards an Academic Health Sciences Centre. His vision was for a state-of-the-art clinical research facility that would take a national lead in health innovation.

On visits to St James’s, he was convinced by the then poor quality of infrastructure for older patients and through Atlantic Philanthropies, the charitable entity which managed his philanthropy, he supported a newly built institute, Mercers Institute for Successful Ageing, a chair and senior lecturer post in medical gerontology (Profs Rose Anne Kenny and Joe Harbison) and additional research and clinical personnel. He also supported pilot work and the first phase of the largest adult ageing study in Ireland, TILDA. He established the Global Brain Health Institute (Profs Brian Lawlor and Ian Robertson) in collaboration with the University of California San Francisco (UCSF). The investments changed the ageing experience in Ireland.

Pictured L-R: Some members of the MISA Project Development team; The late Desmond Kinney (artist), Regius Rose Anne Kenny (MISA), the late Professor Davis Coakley (MISA), the late Chuck Feeney, Esmeralda Kinney, Professor J Bernard Walsh (MISA), David Clarke (Moloney O' Beirne Architects), Niall McElwee (Director of Capital Projects, St James's Hospital)

His dear wife, Helga, was always working by his side. She also visited MISA many times and spoke warmly of the building, research, and the nursing and healthcare professional staff. We will endeavour to continue his inspirational vision and remember his humility - it was always about others and never about himself.”  – Regius Rose Anne Kenny