Directors and staff at the University of Limerick Foundation have been deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Dr Charles F. Feeney. Chuck was Founding Chairman of the University of Limerick Foundation and the catalyst behind its establishment in 1989.
The current Chair of the University of Limerick Foundation Mr Harry Fehily, said; “we as the successors of the foundation chaired by Chuck Feeney recall his generosity and support without equivalent for the University of Limerick through this foundation which he established along with Ed Walsh. We are paused in remembrance today by the news of his passing. Everywhere we look on the University Campus we see living monuments to Chuck. Our main campus road was recently re-named the Feeney Way in his honour for it is the way to all he facilitated with his generosity of inspiration, energy and funding. The physical impact of his extraordinary generosity can be seen right across the campus, including the stunning Irish World Academy of Music and Dance, the Foundation Building housing the University Concert Hall, the School of Medicine, and more recently the Bernal Institute, which has enabled the University to attract a team of world-leading scientists and engineers.”
His great legacy will always be the University’s North Campus initiated by his desire to put the Shannon river at the heart of the campus and not its boundary. Today this campus links Limerick and Clare in becoming the Regional capital of Higher Education in Ireland.
Chuck made an indelible mark over many years as a board member, benefactor and friend of the UL Foundation. Through The Atlantic Philanthropies, he gifted in the region of €150m to our Foundation, which has been transformational to the University, the region and beyond.
Today too we recall especially the person of Chuck, his mischievous smile, his bright incisive eye and his witty way that made light of the hardest tasks.
“Chuck will forever be woven into the fabric of this Foundation, and we are profoundly grateful for his incredible legacy will touch many future generations to come.”
In this time of grief, we extend our deepest condolences to Chuck’s wife, Helga, his children Juliette, Caroleen, Leslie, Diane and Patrick, and his extended family.