Gearoid Lynch was born in Dublin on 17 February 1932, the son of Fionan Lynch and his wife Bridget née Slattery. He studied medicine at Belfast University, graduating MB, BCh, BAO in 1948. Travelling to London he worked as a surgical registrar at the Hammersmith Hospital and then as a registrar in plastic surgery at the London Hospital. He passed the fellowship of the college in 1960 and the fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland (RCSI) in 1963. On his return to Ireland he was a senior registrar at Dr Steevens’ Hospital in Dublin. From 1966 to 1979 he was a consultant plastic surgeon at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda. He also worked at the Richmond Hospital in Dublin from 1968 to 1987 and joined the staff of the James Connolly Memorial Hospital in 1972, working there until 1992. For 10 years from 1987 he was also surgeon to the Beaumont Hospital in Dublin. At the RCSI he was a lecturer in surgery, dean of postgraduate studies from 1966 to 1986 and a councillor from 1996. He was a member of the BMA, the RSM, and the IMA. Also a member of the British Association of Plastic Surgeons, he published widely on plastic and reconstructive surgery. Outside medicine he enjoyed playing golf, gardening, travel and music. On 5 February 1966 he married Frederika Patricia Dempsey. When he died on 1 February 2018 aged 85, his wife survived him along with his five children: Patricia, John, Michelle, Martin and Paul, eleven grandchildren and his brother Dermot.