23/09/2026
Remembering Pat Morrissey
It is with great sadness that we remember Pat Morrissey, a true friend and champion of Bantry Hospice Project, who has passed away.
Pat’s contribution to Bantry Hospice was born from the deepest of personal tragedies — the loss of his beloved son Conor, aged just 28, in 2007. Out of that heartbreak came something truly extraordinary: a determination that other families in West Cork should have access to the care, comfort and dignity that every family deserves at the most difficult time in their lives.
Pat was there from the very beginning. What started with a walk in Conor’s memory and an incredible community fundraising effort grew into the Bantry Hospice Project and, ultimately, the palliative care unit at Bantry General Hospital.
For Pat, this was never simply about raising money. It was about people. It was about families. It was about making sure that nobody facing illness and end-of-life care in West Cork would feel that they had to face it alone.
For many years Pat served as treasurer of Bantry Hospice Project, giving his time quietly, faithfully and without seeking recognition. He understood better than most the difference that compassionate local care can make to a family at its most vulnerable.
The scale of what Pat and his fellow volunteers helped achieve is remarkable. Since 2007, the people of West Cork have raised more than €1 million for Bantry Hospice, supporting not only the hospice unit but home nursing, equipment, family support and practical assistance for people living with cancer. Pat was one of the people who helped make that possible. (The Southern Star)
But perhaps Pat’s greatest legacy is not measured in money raised or buildings opened.
It is measured in the families who were able to stay close to loved ones.
In the patients who received dignity and comfort close to home.
In the nights made a little easier.
In the hands held and the families supported.
And in the knowledge that something good grew from an unbearable loss.
Pat leaves behind a legacy that will live on in Bantry and throughout West Cork for generations.
From all of us in Bantry Hospice Project, thank you, Pat.
Thank you for your dedication.
Thank you for your kindness.
Thank you for your friendship.
And thank you for turning your own family’s sorrow into a lasting gift to so many others.
May you rest in peace, reunited with your beloved Conor.
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis
