Tributes paid to late former Kildare State Solicitor Charlie Coonan

Tributes were paid to the distinquished former State Solicitor for Kildare Charles E (Charlie) Coonan during a recent sitting of Kilcock District Court (sitting in Naas).

Mr Coonan went to his eternal reward on Friday, January 14, peacefully, surrounded by his loving family at Naas General Hospital.

At the court sitting, which happened to be restricted by a new guideline that only emergency cases are to be heard, the President of the Kildare Bar Association, David Gibbons, recalled Mr Coonan as one who would not be likely to back away from a battle, and as having been a character that made an indelible impression on all who knew him.

“He was a fine man and a fine colleague. We say it too often but the reality is that we won’t see the like of him again. He was also sociable and there were many evenings when we had a short drink and a long story from Charlie Coonan.

“I understand that his family always referred to Charlie as ‘himself’ and certainly Charlie was always himself.”

He said Mr Coonan had done a lot of conveyancing work before he became a State Solicitor, where he had served with distinction. The State had retired him on age grounds later.

Mr Coonan believed this was a breach of contract and so had taken a case against the State on those grounds. It had been a long and tortuous case for him but he had persevered and ultimately won the case.

He said that Mr Coonan also had an interest in horses, and had a strong family support network. His wife, Frances, had died a number of years ago.

Judge Desmond Zaidan said he hadn’t known Mr Coonan personally but he understood that Mr Coonan had served the people of Kildare and West Wicklow with distinction.

With Mr Coonan having lived to the age of 86, he wasn’t surprised that he had a lot of stories to recall and tell.

He understood that Mr. Coonan had three children, a daughter Hilary and two sons, Robert (Kilcullen) and Andrew (Naas) who were both working as solicitors and so that was the continuation of a rich family tradition.

Sergeant James Kelly said he had first encountered Mr Coonan about 1995 in Bray. He was a character that you would remember.

“On behalf of the Garda Siochana I would like to express sympathy to all of his family. I had the great pleasure of dealing with him at that time.”

Solicitor Tim Kennelly recalled with fondness Mr. Coonan calling to the offices of Mr Boyce Solicitors while solicitor Joe Coonan noted that he and the deceased were related, with Mr Coonan being his father’s first cousin, and also spoke of the affection in which the late Charlie Coonan was held.

Mr Coonan’s notice on rip.ie said he was survived by his sons Robert and Andrew, daughter Hilary, brothers Ian and Stuart, sister Consuelo, son-in-law, daughters-in-law, brother-in-law, sisters-in-law, grandchildren Isabelle, Katherine, Charlie, Deirdre, Becky, Patrick, James, Clara and Bobbie, nephews, nieces, relatives and friends.

It mentioned that “donations, if desired, to the Friends of St Vincent de Paul or to the Friends of Naas Hospital — enquiries to Murphy Brothers Funeral Directors, Church Lane, Naas (045) 897397.”