22/04/2026
The death in recent months of Dermot Hayes marks the passing of one of Ireland’s most committed and influential disability rights advocates — a man whose life’s work helped shape the Independent Living Movement Irelandnt living movement not just in County Clare, but across the country.
For over three decades, Dermot Hayes stood at the forefront of advocacy, organisation, and community action. As a co-founder of Disabled People of Clare in 1992, he played a central role in building a rights-based approach to disability services at a time when such thinking was far from mainstream. He was also a driving force behind the Clare Leader Forum, providing a strong and consistent platform for advocacy, representation, and engagement with decision-makers.
His influence extended well beyond disability services. Dermot was deeply involved in trade union activity from a young age, and throughout his life he remained active across a wide range of causes — including community development, intercultural initiatives, Traveller support, and international solidarity campaigns. In the area of health advocacy, he served as Chair of the Clare branch of the Irish Kidney Association and was instrumental in campaigning for improved renal services, including the establishment of dialysis facilities in Ennis.
Dermot was not simply an advocate in name — he was a builder of structures, a connector of people, and a persistent voice for those too often unheard. As a person with a disability himself, his work was grounded in lived experience, giving weight and authenticity to his calls for equality, autonomy, and respect. His memoir, The Road That Rises, published in 2023, captured not only his personal journey but also the evolution of activism and community effort over decades.
In recognition of his lifetime of work, Dermot received several honours, including a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Clare Leader Forum. These acknowledgements reflected not just longevity, but sustained impact — the kind that changes systems, attitudes, and expectations.
However, his passing represents more than the loss of one individual. It signals the gradual loss of a generation — those who fought, often from the margins, to establish the principles of Independent Livingndent living in Ireland. They challenged systems, demanded better, and laid the groundwork for the services and supports that exist today.
The question now is clear: who will take up that mantle?
There remains a critical need for strong, informed, and determined advocacy — particularly from people with disabilities themselves. Independent living was never intended to be something delivered quietly in the background. It is a movement that depends on voices, on challenge, and on individuals willing to stand up and shape their own futures.
In its early days, West Limerick Independent Livingdent Living benefited directly from Dermot Hayes’ experience and leadership. He visited the Limerick area as a guest speaker, sharing practical knowledge and insight into independent living with the local community at a time when the organisation was still finding its footing. His contribution provided guidance, direction, and encouragement, and helped inform the development of services in West Limerick during those formative years.
Dermot Hayes leaves behind a legacy that is both substantial and unfinished. The structures he helped build remain — but the responsibility to continue that work now rests with others. If his life demonstrated anything, it is that change does not happen by accident. It happens because people decide to make it happen.
He is survived by his wife Marian and daughters, to whom he was deeply devoted, and whose support was central to his life and work.
May he rest in peace.
