“His impact was immeasurable.”
Tributes are being paid to an Irish man from Waterford who passed away while on holiday in Spain.
Michael Grant, 45, from Waterford city, was visiting Majorca with family and friends when he suddenly took ill.
Mr Grant was reportedly found found unresponsive in the early hours of the morning on a street on the Spanish island.
The local Civil Guard is investigating the Waterford man’s death, but is not believed to be suspicious.
The father-of-four worked as a physiotherapist and was the founder of the youth GAA project, St Joseph’s Juvenile Academy.
Tributes paid to father-of-four from Waterford who died while on holiday in Spain
Leading tributes to Mr Grant was St Joseph’s AFC, who posted their condolences on their Facebook page.
“Michael was an integral part of our community, and his absence will be profoundly felt,” the post read.
“He was not just a coach but a mentor and a friend to all the children and adult members at St Joseph’s.
“More recently his dedication, passion, and love for the kids were evident in everything he did.
“He cherished every one of them, and I’m sure you will all agree that his impact was immeasurable.”
One person commented on the post saying, “Your hard work and dedication gave a rebirth to your beloved club St Joseph’s.
“Your dedication to bring this club back to underage football will not be in vain, we will continue to drive it on to meet the high standards that you sought. Rest easy friend.”
Another former Waterford club of his, Johnville FC, also paid tribute to the 45-year-old.
“We had the pleasure of organising many a blitz between our academies over the last couple of years with Michael and you could feel the enthusiasm and love he had for his job of working with the kids up there and he will be truly missed,” the Facebook post read.
“Being such a popular figure in the county his loss will be felt deeply in the local football and GAA scene but that loss will pale in significance to the loss his family and close friends will be feeling and all our thoughts are with them today.”
Mr Grant is survived by his wife Leanne and his four children Kayley, Niamh, Shay and Sofia.
The Department of Foreign Affairs said it is aware of the case and is providing consular assistance.
