AMERICAN Billionaire Chuck Feeney who donated nearly €160million to University of Limerick has wound up his philanthropic fund.
The 89 year old who made his money from creating airport retailer Duty Free Shoppers with Robert Miller in 1960, has now fulfilled his life-long dream to give away his fortune.
“Through Atlantic Philanthropies, UL Foundation received €152 million in donations”, a UL spokeswoman told the Limerick Post.
The University of Limerick Foundation received the highest grant aid in the Republic of Ireland at $181.5 million, followed by the Trinity Foundation at $162.1 million, Dublin City University Education Trust at $128.2 million, Cork University Foundation at $91.2 million, and Galway University Foundation at $79.5 million.
The dozens of projects Feeney supported at UL include
• Bernal Institute
• Irish World Academy of Music and Dance
• Medical School – building and scholarship programme
• UL Sports Arena
• UL Concert Hall
Feeney also funded on campus residences, such as student villages, as well as the the UL President’s residence. Feeney also supported “a wide selection of professorships and research scholarships” including the “Women’s Studies programme”.
Feeney also funded “various artworks, including Desmond Kinney mosaics, and the Sean Scully sculpture” at UL.
Major infrastructure also funded by Feeney include the vehicular bridge, entrance to campus; the Foundation Building; UL Peace Institute; UL Library building, and Student Centre building.
The veteran entrepreneur signed the papers to dissolve his Atlantic Philanthropies foundation which in total, provided more than $8 billion (€6.8 billion) in grants over the past 38 years.
“If you give while living, the money goes to work quickly, everyone gets to see the action and the results, that’s what we’re all about,” Mr Feeney explained some years ago.
