Mayor pays tribute to “good, decent man”
THE tragic death by fire of one of its most popular residents on Tuesday evening has left the community of St Mary’s Park in shock and sorrow.
It is believed that Willie Coughlan (in his early 60s) was overcome by smoke inhalation in the livingroom of his home at 11 St Brendan Street, shortly after 7.30pm on Tuesday evening and perished in the fire. His younger brother, Thady is being treated for smoke inhalation and shock in the Mid Western Regional Hospital.
Despite the courageous efforts of relatives and neighbours who dashed to gain entry to the house when black smoke was spotted belching from the chimney, the brothers were trapped inside their house at 11 St Brendan Street.
As the Limerick Post goes to press, the gardai at Mary Street Station are awaiting the results of a forensic garda crime scene investigation of the house.
Speaking to the Limerick Post, Michael Coady, a nephew of the brothers told how he had been alerted to the unfolding tragedy when his sister, Geraldine, telephoned to say she had seen thick smoke coming from the house of the Coughlan brothers.
“This was at about 7.30pm and I dashed over. The front door was open and the hall was full of smoke. I knew that Thady was upstairs and ran for a ladder and by then some of the neighbours were on the scene and one of them came up the ladder with me and managed to break open the bedroom window, which was protected with perspex, with a hurley. But when we tried to get in we were beaten back by thick black smoke that was choking us.”
The Limerick Post has been reliably informed that last year the late Mr Coughlan had to have 80 stitches for injuries sustained in an alleged assault but declined to make a statement to the gardai.
Mr Coady had words of special praise for a member of the Garda Rapid Response Unit who he said “ran up the ladder and gained entry but was beaten back by the smoke which was suffocating us.”
The gardai at Henry Street have confirmed that a Detective Garda with the Rapid Response Unit has been treated for injuries at the Mid Western Regional Hospital and subsequently released.
Mr Coady estimates it was less than 20 minutes after they arrived on the scene that the Fire Service arrived, followed by an ambulance.
“Wilie and Thady have lived in the house in St Brendan Street all their lives – it was their mother’s home. Willie always came home in the evening after being in town, sat down and watched TV. He was a quiet man and looked after his brother, Thady who would have been well know around town for playing his mouth organ.”
Expressing his condolences to the immediate family of the brothers, Mayor Kevin Kiely described the late Willie Coughlan as “a good, decent man who bothered no one.
“I send my sincere sympathy to the family and wish Thady a speedy return to health.”
Cllr John Gilligan described Willie Coughlan as a totally inoffensive man who everyone in St Mary’s Park knew and who he said, will be sadly missed. He also paid tribute to the “brave attempts made by neighbours and relatives to save the men.”
