Death of former councillor, Paddy Fitzsimons of Navan
Passing comes on same day as Navan native businessman, Joe Keappock
New Year’s Eve saw the passing of a colossus in Meath political, sporting and business life, with the death of former county councillor, Paddy Fitzsimons of Navan, aged 82.
In 2004, the Navan publican and undertaker retired from public life after 25 years as an urban and county councillor.
A son of the late Senator Pat Fitzsimons and Margaret Russell, he was first elected for Fianna Fail to the urban council in 1979, and to the county council in 1985.
Chair of the town council on five occasions, he was county council chairman in 1991.
His father had been first elected to the Urban Council in 1934, and his son Padraig is a current member of the Navan Municipal Area Council. His brother, Jim, is a former councillor, TD, minister and MEP.
He was one of a family of seven who grew up on Ludlow Street where his parents ran the Tara Restaurant, and a pub on Market Square.
As a member of Navan O’Mahonys, he was part of the teams that won a famous five-in-a-row in the 1950s, and six county titles in seven years. He played minor football with Meath, and captained the junior team, but found himself suspended from the GAA for a period for playing rugby at college.
He was a keen Gaelic speaker and promoted Irish in his Trimgate Street Pub.
In 1964, he married Gretta Murray from Galway, and they had a family of four – Padraig, Jarlath, Dara and Arlene.
He died peacefully at his home in Aylesbury Lodge, Navan, having been physically ill for some months, but active in mind until the end. Earlier this year, he took part in a Navan vintners video promoting the town's public houses as Covid-19 restrictions were set to be lifted.
His passing comes on the same day as a member of another prominent Navan business family, Joe Keappock of Dunsany, a former president of Navan Rotary Club.
Mr Keappock, a successful horse breeder, lived at Claremount House, Commons Road before moving to Dunsany Stud, and latterly to Loughmore Square at Killeen Castle.
He is a former regional chairman of the Irish Thoroughbred Breeders Association. Aged 79, he died after a short illness.
In business in Navan since the 1850s, the family was known for its auctioneering agency, as well as a fruit and vegetable store, at Market Square. Some of the family are remembered on the World War I memorial on Watergate Street, while others served in the diocese as clergy and religious.
Husband of Caitriona and father of Joseph, Paul, Jennifer and Ian, he was predeceased by his sister, Mary and brother, Jack, and is also survived by brothers, James and Vincent, sisters Catherine and Louise, grandchildren Jake, Michael, Peter, Scott, Evan and Elsie, nieces, nephews, extended family, neighbours and a wide circle of friends.
His funeral Mass will take place privately (limited to 10 persons) on Monday, 4th January, at 10.30am in St. Mary's Church, Navan, followed by cremation in Mount Jerome Crematorium, Harold's Cross.
The Mass can be viewed at 10.30am on navanparish.ie/livestream.
The cremation can be viewed at 12.45 on https://vimeo.com/event/139693