Quick Facts
Biography
Eamonn "Ned" Coogan (1896 – 22 January 1948) was an Irish Fine Gael politician, barrister and Deputy Commissioner of the Garda Síochána. He was born in Castlecomer, County Kilkenny. He was elected to Dáil Éireann as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Kilkenny constituency at the 1944 general election. He died during the 1948 general election campaign. His son is the author Tim Pat Coogan.
He was friends with David Neligan. Eoin O'Duffy was best man at his wedding.
During the Irish War of Independence, Coogan and another man were ordered by Michael Collins to kill two young women who had been passing on information to the police. Coogan did not shoot them because he thought they were "very young and very beautiful".
He had been fired as Deputy Garda Commissioner in 1936 after an altercation with the general manager of The Irish Press but he remained in the force and held the rank of chief superintendent until he was forced to retire in 1941.
Following his sacking he worked as a barrister and as the General Secretary of Fine Gael.