It was with deep sadness that The Alzheimer Society of Ireland (The ASI) heard, on 11 August, of the passing of Ronan Smith, a leading dementia advocate and former Chair of the Irish Dementia Working Group (IDWG) Steering Committee and The ASI Board of Directors. Ronan was highly respected by all the staff and volunteer advocates. He was a real gentleman and had a rare gift of being a terrific listener and conversationalist. Over many years, The ASI had the privilege to engage with Ronan as a leading advocate for the voice of people living with dementia. The ASI is grateful to Ronan for his work speaking publicly about living with dementia, he was a pioneer and an innovator and always encouraged new and diverse voices. Ronan’s choice to be open about dementia broke down so many barriers and opened so much understanding of dementia in Irish society. Ronan’s passing has been deeply felt by everyone at The ASI, the board members, staff, volunteers and fellow advocates. Our thoughts and prayers are with Ronan’s family, especially Miriam, Hannah and Loughlin. May Ronan rest in peace.