Mrs Brown’s Boys star Dermot O’Neill has been left heartbroken after his wife Patricia ‘Chickie’ Maguire, 60, died just months after being diagnosed with cancer in January
15:55, 02 Jun 2026Updated 16:04, 02 Jun 2026
(Image: BBC/BBC Studios/Alan Peebles)
Dermot O’Neill, known for playing Grandad in Mrs Brown’s Boys, has been left heartbroken following the death of his wife just months after she was diagnosed with cancer. The BBC sitcom star announced the passing of his beloved wife Patricia ‘Chickie’ Maguire, 60, who died on 1 June.
The 67-year-old revealed that his wife of 14 years passed away in the early hours at St Francis Hospice, Blanchardstown, having been told she had only months to live when medics discovered multiple tumours in her stomach. He said: “We are absolutely devastated. I am going to miss her so much.”
Dermot’s comments to The Irish Sun came just months after his wife learnt of her illness. Chickie received her cancer diagnosis in January, following a hospital visit in Spain for what was supposed to be a hernia operation.
During the procedure, medics discovered the tumours and were left unable to operate. Following this, Chickie underwent chemotherapy treatment at Beaumont Hospital in Dublin.
In a previous interview with The Irish Sun, Chickie opened up about her diagnosis. She explained that while a Spanish hospital offered her treatment, she chose to “come back to Ireland” as she feared that remaining in Spain meant she would “never see my kids again”.
The mother-of-seven also spoke about the difficulty of breaking the news to her children, particularly her sons Salvador and Evan, whom she told alongside Dermot. She recalled how her husband “put his hand on my knee” and that they “all hugged and cried”. Tragically, her sole wish was to celebrate one more Christmas with her loved ones, as she had a three year old granddaughter, Ellie, and her “dream is to make it to Christmas Day and give her a kiss”.
Dermot and Chickie tied the knot in 2012. The pair first crossed paths at a Brendan O’Carroll concert and waited two decades before exchanging vows. Dermot has previously shared details about their unusual engagement. He sent Chickie a text message asking: “Do you want to be Mrs O’Neill?” She responded affirmatively via text and they wed shortly afterwards, reports the Mirror.
Chickie, who had previously supported Dermot through his cancer battle in 2020, commended her husband for his care during her illness. She described him as “amazing”, particularly given their age difference meant he hadn’t anticipated nursing his wife through sickness. Dermot is 14 years her senior.
In Mrs Brown’s Boys, Dermot portrayed Harold Brown, the father-in-law to the titular character, Agnes Brown, played by Brendan O’Carroll. He frequently endured mockery from his daughter-in-law, who resented caring for him following her husband’s passing.
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