Maurice Neligan (1937 – 8 October 2010) was an Irish heart surgeon, activist, newspaper columnist and media commentator. He was considered one of Ireland's most recognisable doctors – "Ireland's answer to Dr Christian Barnard [sic]" – and performed a number of firsts in Irish medicine. It is thought that he performed 14,000 – 15,000 heart operations during his career. After his death in 2010, Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny described him as "the first superstar of Irish medicine".