Lorcan was diagnosed with the life-limiting disease in 2019 and was placed on the lung transplant list. Last year he received two callouts for the transplant, both of which failed to materialise.

Lorcan was a west Wicklow local election candidate for Fine Gael in 2009 and 2014, and prior to his diagnosis, he was heavily involved with local schools, sports and youth clubs, from Blessington GAA Club to the PTA and the parish council.

Only as recently as August of last year, Lorcan spoke candidly about his condition as part of Lung Fibrosis Awareness Month, which was taking place in September.

Lorcan’s condition first started to reveal itself in 2018, beginning with a simple cough, and progressing to such an extent that he found himself struggling to breathe at night.

In 2019, he was diagnosed with lung fibrosis, which is a progressive lung disease where scar tissue builds up, thickening and stiffening the lungs, making it hard to breathe and get oxygen into the bloodstream, often causing shortness of breath and fatigue.

After his diagnosis and as his condition deteriorated, Loran was forced to give up his profession as a carpenter, while he had to cut-back his involvement with Blessington GAA Club as well. He also was no longer able to volunteer as a supervisor at Croke Park.

The disease mostly affects people over the age of 65, but Lorcan was only aged in his early to mid-50s when he received his diagnosis.

Following his diagnosis, Lorcan was told that the prognosis wasn’t good. He was placed on oxygen in 2024 and was placed on the lung transplant list in February of last year.

Speaking to the Wicklow People in August of 2025, Lorcan said: “I started off on four litres, I’m now on 10 litres per day. So there’d be 10 litres of oxygen coming into me, in through the tubes, up my nose, at the moment. That’s 24 hours a day. That’s when I’m active. When I’m sleeping, it would be at three or four.”

At home, Lorcan had a 30-foot tube coming out of the oxygen dispenser, called a concentrator, so he could have space to move around the house. While he could still go outside, his movement was limited, as he required 10 litres of oxygen cylinders when waking around, with each cylinder lasting for around an hour.

“I can look after myself, I can go out, but I have to be extra careful because if I get a cough or a cold that will further damage my lungs. The disease is such that it can be gradual, or you can go along at a certain level and just suddenly take a drop.”

Lorcan was also assigned a psychologist as part of his care at the Mater Hospital. Twice a week he visited Tallaght Hospital for a pulmonary rehab class.

Describing the condition back in August, Lorcan said: “It’s frightening. That’s all I can say. It can be frightening. I’m completely out of breath at the top of the stairs. And you just, you’ll start coughing. You could take two or three minutes, just trying to catch your breath to the point where you just can’t move. You just stop exactly what you’re doing and just sit there, or stand if you can, and concentrate. Think of holidays, or something nice, it gradually comes back to normal. You try not to panic. It’s not too easy sometimes.”

Lorcan’s hopes were raised on two occasions last year when it looked like his wait on the lung transplant list was over, only for his hopes to be dashed on both occasion at the last minute.

“You get a call and there’ll be an ambulance there in half an hour for you, and you’re brought in straight away. That can happen any time of the day or night. I have been called twice this year and the first time they brought in two or three people, one of the others got it.

“And then the second time, I was the only person brought in and when they opened up the donor, their lungs weren’t in good shape. So I’ve been sent home. Psychologically, that is huge, because you’re so built up. If you can imagine, going in and then the disappointment. It is a disease that will kill me if I don’t get lungs.”

Lorcan is sadly missed by his wife Claire, daughter Christine, son Michael, his brothers Ronan, Ciaran and Conor, sisters Claire and Niamh, his nieces, nephews, extended family, neighbours and a wide circle of friends, including his GAA family.

His removal by Glennons Funeral Directors takes place on Wednesday, January 14, at 10.30am to arrive at the Church of Our Lady, Blessington for requiem mass at 11am, followed by his burial in Bohernabreena Cemetery.