President of the Vintners’ Federation of Ireland, Michael O’Donovan, has shared his story of how what seemed like a persistent cough turned out to be the first sign of a life-threatening condition.
The well-known Cork publican and owner of The Castle Inn explained that just days before he was due to attend last year’s All-Ireland Final, he was rushed into emergency surgery after a scan revealed a leaking bowel. Speaking on The Cork’s 96FM Opinion Line with PJ Coogan, Michael explained that doctors told him that he needed a series of operations because his bowel was grossly enlarged. His plans to attend the All-Ireland were dashed when he was told, “You’re not going anywhere – we need to operate now.”
The problem began when Michael developed a bad cough that two courses of steroids and antibiotics hadn’t shifted. Then on a family holiday in New York in June 2024, he had a severe coughing fit in the hotel one night and passed out. “It terrified my wife,” he said. “We saw a doctor the next day, and I was put back on steroids and antibiotics.”
When a second severe coughing fit caused him to pass out again while the family were in Orlando, a GP there advised Michael to go straight to his own GP when he arrived home. “It was scary — especially that second time, because it happened in front of the kids,” he recalled. “They’re 19, 17, and 14, and even though they’re older, it really shook them.”
Once home, Michael began having blood tests and this resulted in him being sent to Bon Secours. His consultant, Mr O’Leary, told him that he needed urgent surgery for a bowel obstruction. His bowel was so inflamed, it was putting pressure on his vagus nerve, which controls breathing – this was causing his cough. As Michael had just eaten, the surgery couldn’t take place until the following morning, and he was warned that if his bowel burst, there would be very little that they could do. Thankfully it didn’t and the surgery successfully took place.
“After the operation, I had to learn to live with a colostomy bag, which was a huge adjustment,” he said. “My diet changed completely, and even simple things like turning in bed were difficult. I had to sleep on my back for weeks. Walking anywhere meant being aware of whether the stoma might activate, always needing to be near a toilet.
“There were nights my wife had to get up at 2 or 3 a.m. because the bag had burst — we’d change the sheets, I’d shower, and we’d start over. It was a tough few months, learning how to manage it all, especially with how much food and routine had to change.”
In January of this year, Michael ended up in ICU for a week following an ileoscopy procedure, and was the sickest he’d ever felt. “It nearly broke me,” he admitted. “That was the low point. But I turned a corner.”
Michael managed to make it to Dublin in February to be announced as president of the Vintners’ Federation of Ireland – only the third Cork person to have held that prestigious position.
He recently had a colostomy reversal operation and is out walking several times per week. Now happily well on the road to good health again, Michael is very grateful to his surgeon Mr O’Leary – he “saved my life”.
Looking back, Michael admits that he was so busy with work that he should have dealt with the cough sooner, and should have had his bloods checked more regularly. He advises other men to have those vital health checks. “I suppose when you’re getting into your middle ages, even though I still think I’m young, it’s just important to get yourself checked out maybe once a year,” he told PJ. “You know we look after the car, we look after the house, but we don’t look after ourselves as men.”
