‘He will be missed by so many,’ – President Michael D Higgins leads tributes to Script guitarist Mark Sheehan

“All those who knew Mark Sheehan, and those millions more who enjoyed and appreciated his music, will have been deeply shocked to hear of his too-early death.

“It was a mark of the originality and excellence that Mark and his bandmates in The Script sought that they saw such success across the world, including six number one albums in the UK and a number three album in the United States – a truly remarkable achievement,” Mr Higgins said.

The President said it was a great honour and a privilege when he had the opportunity of hosting Mark and The Script when they performed at Áras an Uachtaráin in 2013 as part of his initiative Glaoch - The President’s Call, which celebrated Irish creativity and its reach and impact across the world.

“Through their music, Mark and The Script have played an outstanding part in continuing and promoting this proud tradition of Irish musical success across the world.

“While Mark will be missed by so many, it is his family who will of course experience the greatest loss. May I extend my deepest sympathies to Mark’s wife Rina, to his children Cameron, Avery and Lil, to his bandmates in The Script, and to all his family and friends.”

The band's official social media accounts had confirmed the tragic news this evening.

A short message accompanied by a photo of Sheehan said: “Much loved husband, father, brother, band mate and friend Mark Sheehan passed away in hospital after a brief illness.

“The family and group ask fans to respect their privacy at this tragic time."

There was a huge outpouring of grief from the band's fans on social media.

"I'm so shocked and sad to read this. Thank you for so many good times. RIP," said one devastated fan.

Another said: "Mark, you will be missed by so many. My thoughts go out to your wife and children and to your family and friends.”

Sheehan (46) was the father of teenage children and lived in America with his wife Reena, who he married when he was aged 25.

"Reena is from Texas ­- we met on the road," he once said.

"I was producing and working in different studios and she was a studio session singer and backing singer. "And we just kind of clicked in the usual way you do."

The band were due to support Pink! on her upcoming European tour, starting in Bolton on June 7.

But Sheehan had been missing from the American leg of The Script’s greatest hits tour last year.

In an exclusive interview with the Sunday World last May, singer Danny O'Donoghue said Mark had taken time out for family commitments.

"It's his story to tell, but yeah, I guess if I could paraphrase, his children needed a father and his wife needed a husband.

"He's been the engine of The Script for such a long time, [I told him] that 'if you want to take a bit of time out for your family you are more than welcome to, and I insist on you going and doing it'.

"He took a little bit of time off. You get refreshed, then you come back with a new zest for life. And I believe it was the best thing that could have happened for all of us.

"Me and Glen had to get on with it in the meantime. We did the American leg without him, but the second we all get back in the room again for the Irish tour you just sit there and you go 'there's the f**kin' magic!'"

Sheehan, who is originally from Dublin’s Liberties, was the lead guitarist in the band that formed in the early 2000s in the capital city.

Along with lead singer O’Donoghue and drummer Glen Power they relocated to London to pursue their musical career.

Success followed in 2008 with their debut album The Script reaching number one in the UK and Ireland, helped by the popularity of singles such as Breakeven.

O’Donoghue and Sheehan have been friends since their school days and pursued various musical projects together before settling on The Script - including pop group My Town.

Sheehan previously said: "This is going to sound like a f**king cliché, but music has saved my life, because every time I felt like I’d nothing – at my darkest moments – I was writing songs about that.”

Sheehan’s parents Gerard and Rachel died when he was relatively young.

“My dad passed away when I was 14 and my mum died in 2006,” he said several years ago.

“We signed our record deal in America then moved home to record the album because she had a stroke.

"She was in hospital for 10 months and that is what brought me back to Dublin.

The lads came back with me. I had a small studio, more like a shed, at the back of the James Street house where I grew up.

"It was right next to the hospital so I was able to go in and do nightshifts with my mum, write lyrics and then come home and write and record more.

"She heard some songs but she didn't get to hear everything. She felt if you were doing a show that people came to watch, then that was a success.

"She taught me not to gauge my success on money. I know you have to keep the lights on but in general we do everything because of passion and our love for music.

"So in her eyes I was always successful because I was following my dreams."

The Script had been using a session guitarist on their world tour during Sheehan’s absence.

Frontman Danny O’Donoghue became an even bigger star in the UK thanks to becoming a judge on TV show The Voice.

Speaking to the Sunday World last year,  O’Donoghue admitted he was nervous going back on stage after more than two years off the road.

"We did the first leg in America and, I'm not gonna lie, not having done anything in two and a half years, it's like you never did it in the first place," he said.

"I was so nervous. It's the 'best of' and it's nearly 14 years of lyrics to remember. But it was such a release of emotion, and I mean that from my point of view.

"We had stopped mid-tour [due to the pandemic] and went into a house for nearly 18 months and then didn't know if we were ever going to get to play again, if we were able to get to hang out again.