The late Terence Casey, the hugely respected retired Killarney solicitor and coroner, who passed away, unexpectedly, on Monday, will be remembered as a caring and compassionate man who always thought of and championed the cause of families struggling to cope with bereavement.
Following his father, Michael, into a career in law, he established Terence F Casey & Co which progressed to become one of the most respected an longest established legal practices in Killarney and Terence became a household name through his sterling work in the courts.
He was appointed deputy coroner in 1994 and, eight years later, he was named coroner for south Kerry and it was through that work that he really found his niche and enhanced his reputation for showing compassion and respect in the most testing of circumstances.
Terence was very vocal on the huge problem of suicide, particularly in rural areas, and he followed his words with practical proposals and solutions, suggesting at one stage that helpline promotional posters be erected in pubs and places of entertainment where people gathered at night given that most suicides occurred between the hours of 10.00pm and 7.00am.
Picture: Valerie O’Sullivan
Visibly moved by the number of suicides he dealt with in the coroner’s court, Mr Casey assured people that there was help out there if just make a phone call and he always kept the best interests of grieving relatives in mind when pathology reports were raised in the courts.
“I’ve visited families where their son or daughter has died by suicide. They leave a severe loss behind them. That sticks with you,” he once said.
Terence was hugely impressed by the legacy of Tralee teenager Donal Walsh who, despite his own ultimately fatal battle with cancer, spent so much time pleading with young people to live life and to make the most of the opportunities that came their way.
In an interview in 2017, Terence said he noticed a very obvious reduction in the number of suicides in Kerry since Donal spoke on the topic with Brendan O’Connor on RTÉ some years earlier.
When he stepped down as coroner in 2017, at the age of 70, Terence was somewhat critical of State policy that insists that public servants must retire when they reach a certain age and he would have been happy to continue to serve. Those that knew him and his work certainly acknowledged that he had so much more to give to such an important role.
A great businessman, he was also the driving force behind the popular Dungeon Bookshop, initially setting up on Plunkett Street as a camping gear, sportswear and novelty outlet and later moving to College Street where The Dungeon specialises in office and stationery supplies and school books with a massive collection of second-hand books.
Terence, from Countess Road, Killarney and late of Dromhale, Muckross Road, is survived by his wife, Geraldine (née O’Connor), children Niamh and Terry, son-in-law John, grandchildren Ádah, Fíadh and Donnacha and his brother Owen.
Predeceased by his grandson Seán and brothers Eddie and Michéal, he is further survived by his sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, nieces, nephews, relatives, neighbours and many good friends.
Reposing at O’Shea’s Funeral Home, Killarney on this Thursday evening from 4.30pm to 6.30pm, the funeral is scheduled to arrive at St Mary’s Cathedral on Friday morning at 10.00am for Requiem Mass at 10.30am.
Burial will take place afterwards in Aghadoe Lawn Cemetery.
The family has asked for donations in lieu of flowers, if desired, to be made to the Killarney Cardiac Response Unit.
The Requiem Mass for Terence will be live streamed on https://www.churchservices.tv/killarneycathedral.
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