Game of Thrones actor Michael Patrick died at age 35 following a three-year battle with an incurable neurodegenerative disease.
The actor and playwright — who was affectionately known as “Mick” by his friends and family — memorably appeared in a Game of Thrones season 6 episode as a Wildling and also starred in British shows This Town and My Left Nut.
Patrick was diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND) in February 2023 after experiencing balance and mobility abnormalities while working on a play. Tragically, he had a family history with MND as his father also died from the condition.
After undergoing clinical drug trials, his wife, Naomi Sheehan, confirmed via Instagram on April 8, 2026, that Patrick died following 10 days in a Belfast, Northern Ireland, hospice care center.
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Keep scrolling for more information about MND and Patrick’s diagnosis.
What Is Motor Neurone Disease?
The Mayo Clinic describes motor neurone disease — also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or Lou Gehrig’s disease — as a neurodegenerative condition that impacts nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.
“The disease leads to muscle weakness and gets worse over time,” the clinic states.
Those with MND gradually lose muscle control over their speech, swallowing and limbs.
What Are the Symptoms of Motor Neurone Disease?
The Mayo Clinic specifies “muscle twitching and weakness in an arm or leg, trouble swallowing, or slurred speech” as early symptoms of MND. Eventually, the patient has increasing difficulty speaking and swallowing and can no longer control their limbs.
In Michael Patrick’s case, he first experienced symptoms while performing in a play at the Dublin Fringe in late 2022.
“I had to dance in it and I kept falling over, tripping on my shoes,” he told the “Brain and Life” podcast in January 2026. “I kept blaming my shoes, kept saying, ‘Why have they got me dancing in these big chunky shoes? It’s not fair.’ But it didn’t get better.”
Patrick was advised to see a doctor by a relative. By the time he was diagnosed with MND in February 2023, he’d already lost the ability to “lift [his] right foot” and “couldn’t point [his] toes to the ceiling.”
Can Motor Neurone Disease Be Passed Down Through Families?
Per the MND Association, “inherited MND affects up to 1 in 10 people” with the disease.
“If you have a family history of MND, it does not mean you will definitely get the condition, as other risk factors are usually needed for MND to begin,” the MND Association states. “You may also hear inherited MND being called familial or hereditary MND.”
In Michael Patrick’s case, his father died of MND within months of being diagnosed. Michael admitted to RTE in August 2025 that he initially worried he’d face a similar fate.
“My dad was diagnosed in February and he died that October,” Michael remembered. “There wasn’t much time with him. I’m thinking, ‘Am I gonna [die] in October?’ Thankfully, I haven’t.”
Michael suggested on the “Brain and Life” podcast that his family “seems to be the only one in Ireland with the gene” for a rare form of MND.
“I have the FUS MND familial inherited version of four genes that are known to cause MND and familial MND. One’s the FUS gene,” he noted. “I think it’s one of the rarer of the four.”
Is Motor Neurone Disease Incurable?
There is no cure for motor neurone disease but research into potential therapies is currently taking place.
Michael Patrick was able to get into a clinical drug trial for a potential treatment and noticed “the first reversal of symptoms” within weeks.
“I can now wiggle my right foot [and] toes for the first time in about two years. It’s small,” he told the “Brain and Life” podcast in January 2026. “And my breathing’s still going unless I get a tracheotomy, and my arm’s still getting weaker, but fact is there is some reversal there, which is really exciting.”
As people living with MND gradually lose the ability to speak and breath freely, some opt to have a tracheostomy, where a tube is surgically inserted in the throat to open up an airway.
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Patrick considered having a tracheostomy. He ultimately chose not to go forward with the procedure in February 2026 after being given one year to live by his neurologist.
“In short I’m not going ahead with the tracheostomy,” he confirmed via Instagram in February 2026. “I had confirmation it would be around 6-12 months before I could get home due to lack of staffing resources. Thanks so much to everyone who helped push this — from senior social workers, to politicians, to the chief executive of the hospital. Everyone has tried so hard, but there just isn’t the staff.”
