Declan Sheehan – financier who contributed deeply to Irish life

Declan Sheehan, who died on March 5th, 2022, was an extraordinary man who left behind family and friends who mourn his loss, missing his kindness, wit, intelligence and energy every day. His friendship circle spanned the world and his friendships were devoted and spanned decades.

Born in Dublin in 1962, Declan was one of four children born to Helen and Joe Sheehan. His father was an Aer Lingus pilot, and a captain on the Dublin to New York route, giving Declan a taste for New York from an early age that would last his lifetime. After attending St Mary's College in Rathmines, he proceeded to Trinity College Dublin to study medicine. After two years, he moved to the economics department which welcomed him with open arms; he had found his calling. While at Trinity, he excelled at debating and became auditor of the College Historical Society, the "Hist". After graduating in 1985 he moved to London for a career in finance, at a time when Ireland had few opportunities for graduates. He joined JP Morgan, which like other American banks in London, cherished the Irish talent that came their way, and where his talents and global perspective were fully recognised. His successful career saw him move from London to New York to Tokyo and then Hong Kong and later back to London and Geneva when he joined HSBC, eventually to serve as CEO of HSBC Private Bank (UK).

Declan never coveted the trappings of wealth. Apart from being a generous host to family and friends, and global travels, his one major indulgence was his beautiful house in New York, which was designed masterfully as a minimalist and luxurious escape from the madness of the city. But it was typical of him that he shared his beautiful home with family and friends – things were wonderful in his life when they could be shared.

Declan contributed generously to charitable institutions consistently throughout his life. Along with financial donations, he contributed ideas and effort and engaged intellectually around causes close to his heart. In the 1980s and 1990s he was involved in ACT-UP in New York and later on he was a donor to the Terrence Higgins Trust in London, again acting on his deep commitment to LGBT rights and to helping other people. Following a cancer diagnosis in 2011 and successful treatment that led him into remission, he joined a patients' advocacy board in London as a way to thank his excellent doctors and to help others who might be in the same position. Over the last decade of his life he made major financial contributions Trinity College, including to the development of its expanded business school, and to scholarships for Access students and for postgraduates in economics. He served the college as a member of the provost's council and campaign cabinet and was chair of the Board of Trinity Foundation's trustees and an executive committee member of the St James's Cancer Institute. He appreciated his good fortune in being educated at Trinity and believed passionately that the college should expand to offer more people that same opportunity.

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Declan was a welcome guest in homes across the world. Being both kind and extremely well-read and informed, he was an excellent dinner companion who shared rather than displayed his knowledge. He had a wicked wit that was never cruel. A brilliant mimic, he could attribute ludicrous statements to friends who needed to be taken down a notch. We knew him as the kind of friend that was for life, through good and bad times, someone we loved and someone who gave us back so much. But for all his racing around the world, notably Utah and New York, Italy and Connemara, Declan remained a Dubliner because that is where his family was and his love for them burnt strong.

Declan was a gifted administrator with a keen eye for minutiae – it mattered that the details were right. His taxes were filed perfectly in full and on time in multiple jurisdictions. Here was a man who would have alphabetised his sock drawer if it weren’t for the fact that they were all identical and grey. His homes were orderly, his punctuality was precise and his memory for people and dates revealed an intense consideration for others. While his untimely death came as a shock, it was not a particular surprise that years previously he had organised for his solicitor to email over 120 people to inform those he knew of his death when the moment came. Above all, Declan was a man of immense and unimpeachable integrity: he was scrupulously honest, principled and conscientious in all his personal and professional dealings, ethics which he cherished dearly and promoted steadfastly throughout his noble life.

We are bereft at his loss.