Tributes pour in for Irish actor-writer Michael Patrick after death at 35

The acclaimed actor was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in February 2023.

Born and raised in Belfast, Michael was well-known for his work in theatre, writing the play My Left Nut, alongside his frequent collaborator Oisín Kearney.

Based on a cancer scare Michael had as a teenager, the play was adapted into a BBC series in 2020 that featured Jessica Reynolds, Lola Petticrew and Sinead Keenan.

On screen, he also had roles in the TV shows Blue Lights, Death and Nightingales, Game of Thrones, Krypton and This Town.

In February 2023, the actor and writer was diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND). His father died of MND when Michael was a child.

The actor and writer continued to work after being diagnosed. Together with Oisín Kearney, he staged an acclaimed adaptation of William Shakespeare's Richard III.

In their production, Richard III had MND, used a wheelchair and was portrayed by Michael.

Michael also co-wrote a short film inspired by his diagnosis titled So You're Going to Die, which stars Conor MacNeill and James Nesbitt.

In a statement on Wednesday, 8 April, Michael's wife Naomi confirmed that the actor and writer passed away in the Northern Ireland Hospice.

"He was admitted 10 days ago and was cared for by the incredible team there. He passed peacefully surrounded by family and friends," she wrote.

"Words can’t describe how broken-hearted we are.

"It’s been said more than once that Mick was an inspiration to everyone who was privileged enough to come into contact with him, not just in the past few years during his illness but in every day of his life.

"He lived a life as full as any human can live. Joy, abundance of spirit, infectious laughter. A titan of a ginger-haired man.

"We are so grateful for every person who supported us through the last few years.

"Mick loved this quote from Brendan Behan, and this feels appropriate now: 'The most important things to do in the world are to get something to eat, something to drink and somebody to love you. So, don’t overthink it. Eat. Drink. Love.'"

SNL UK star George Fouracres studied at Cambridge with Michael and called him "one of the greatest human beings" he ever shared time with.

Fouracers' tribute reads: "He stars in nearly all of the most carefree memories in my head; he was hilarious, wise, kind, pure mischief, and beloved of everyone who encountered him.

"It’s always summer in my mind when I think back on our mad capers as students, and our never-ending conversations that could swing wildly between Pokémon, the best way to roast a ham, dinosaur phylogeny and the Flight of the Wild Geese.

"If you were lucky enough to see his Richard III at the Lyric Theatre in Belfast (the best piece of Shakespeare I have ever seen staged), or any of his achievements on stage or screen alongside Oisín Kearney, you don’t need me to tell you he was a prolific talent as a performer, writer and creator.

"Even as his illness progressed, he grew ever more prolific, ‘raging against this bloody tyrant, time.’

"There was no prouder Irishman, and as an artist, he not only made his country proud of him but all of us, his friends and his family.

"More than that, as a man, he improved the day of anyone he cared to pass it with."

He also wrote: "There was no better friend. I will miss him for the rest of my life."