Des (centre) with wife Adrienne, sons James and Andrew and daughter Laura in 2023
Dr Coady was always there for patients when they needed him
WHEN Dr Desmond P Coady opened a GP surgery in Tallaght in 1970, it set in motion his many decades of service to the community in which he has left a lasting legacy, after passing away last week at age 82, writes Aideen O’Flaherty.
Des, as he was known to patients and friends alike, opened his GP surgery in October 1970, in a house on Old Bawn Way that he purchased with his beloved wife Adrienne.
At this time, Tallaght was a small but growing village and the young couple could see that there was a need for a GP practice there.
Des’s son, Dr Andrew Coady, who now runs the surgery his dad set up all those years ago, told The Echo: “The new houses in Old Bawn had just been built so they thought there would be a need for a doctor in the area.
“They both loved the area. They saw it as a young persons’ area, and they loved the rolling hills and the mountains.
“Tallaght back then was like the countryside, I think there was only one GP in the area before Dad. Of the modern practices in Tallaght, Dad’s was one of the first.”
At that time, it was common for doctors to buy houses and operate their medical practice downstairs, while the upstairs of the house was where they lived and raised their families.
Andrew was born in 1974 and spent his early years in the house in Old Bawn. In 1977 the family moved out to live in a separate house, but Andrew still spent a lot of his time in the surgery.
“The surgery had become so busy that Mum and Dad decided they needed to make the surgery and their living quarters separate,” recalled Andrew.
“When I was a child, Mum would often turf me off to Dad and I’d spend the day in the surgery with him.
“The first receptionist there was Teresa Corrigan. She was a lovely lady, and I’d sit behind the desk with her while Dad saw patients.”
Dr Coady at his work practise in Old Bawn who sadly passed away this week
Des developed strong working relationships with his team, in particular his longstanding secretary Bridie Jones who always greeted patients gently and with kindness.
“Bridie was a secretary in the surgery for 25 years, from the 90s until she retired in 2022, and she became like a part of our family,” said Andrew.
“She had a wonderful working relationship and friendship with Dad, and she was an incredible support to him and an integral part of the surgery.”
Des’s main focus, however, was always on his patients. Even after he retired, he had a knack for being able to recall his patients’ addresses and relatives at the mere mention of their name, and always wanted to know how they were.
“He just adored all of his patients,” said Andrew. “All of the people who were moving to Tallaght when he opened the surgery were all around the same age as him and Mum, so he didn’t see them as patients – they were friends.”
Andrew added: “Dad didn’t keep conventional hours – he was always there for his patients when they needed him.
“There were nights where he didn’t get home until after midnight because he’d be working so late, and he’d go straight back to work the next morning. It never bothered him.”
Des’s commitment to the community he loved meant that he often quietly helped his patients through hard times.
“Dad saw his patients go through very difficult times economically in the 80s and 90s, and he would’ve frequently waived fees if people didn’t have the money,” said Andrew.
“He looked after the community when it was vulnerable and in its infancy. He was a very fatherly figure to the patients, and he had a very reassuring presence.
“You could go to him and tell him anything, and he’d listen and help.”
Dr Coady with his son Andrew
Outside of his work life, Des was a keen golfer, and, despite his busy schedule, he always had time for his family. He was a dedicated husband to Adrienne and father to Andrew, James and Laura.
“Mum was an incredibly supportive partner, she loved the patients and understood how much Dad cared for them,” said Andrew.
“Dad never went to the pub or anything like that, he was a family man, so we never felt an absence of him, and he always spent the days he had off with us.”
Andrew began working alongside his dad in the surgery in 2003, after growing up being inspired by his dad’s innately caring nature and passion for helping his patients.
“We got to work together for over ten years. He started to take a step back around 2014, because at that stage all of the energy he had for the hard work he’d done before had started to run out.
“When he retired, what he missed most was the patients. Not seeing them anymore was what he found hardest about retiring.
“If he had the physical energy and his health had allowed it, I don’t think he would’ve ever fully retired.”
Des’s health began to decline in recent months after he was diagnosed with prostate cancer.
He passed away last Friday, June 6, in the care of Our Lady’s Hospice, Harold’s Cross, surrounded by his loving family and having left an indelible mark on the Tallaght community.
“Dad bore his illness, especially during his final weeks and months, with incredible bravery and humility,” said Andrew.
“We’d speak every day, and he’d always ask me who was in the surgery that day and how were they doing.
“Even more recently, when he was coming to the end of his life, he would still always ask about his patients and who I’d seen.”
Andrew added: “It’s very difficult to step out of the doctor role and into the patient role, and it takes a special person to accept that, and to recognise life’s impermanence, which he did.
“At the end of the day, he was a very modest man, and he never felt that the role of a doctor was anything other than to serve people.”
Dr Desmond P Coady’s funeral was held in the Church of the Holy Spirit, Kimmage Manor on Wednesday, June 11, followed by burial in Mount Venus Cemetery.
