Death of much-loved Buncrana solicitor and true gentleman Joe Davies, 1947-2025

Tributes have been paid to a well-respected and much-loved Inishowen solicitor, who died at the age of 78 last month.

Joe Davies passed away from illness on July 28, 2025 at the Foyle Hospice, in the company of his younger brothers, Karl and John.

A man with strong links to Moville, he had worked for the past forty years at CS Kelly & Co Solicitors in Buncrana, where his loss will be sorely felt.

Joe was regarded by his colleagues, his many clients, and the wider community of Inishowen as a true gentleman; someone who diligently cared for others and always went out of his way to help.

A renowned conveyancer and company lawyer, Joe was known for his sense of compassion, professionalism, and loyalty. He assisted his colleagues all over the county with their conveyancing problems and will be sadly missed by them.

Joe had battled a devastating cancer diagnosis with incredible courage over the past year, regularly keeping his circle of close friends and relatives updated on his treatment via WhatsApp.

Sadly, he lost his battle for life on July 28 – just ten days after his 78th birthday – but Joe’s memory will live on in the hearts of all those who knew and loved him.

Joe was the beloved son of John Davies and Roisin Davies (nee Quinn). His late father John came to work at the Beach Cinema in Moville in the mid-1940s. He met and married Roisin Quinn, from Quay Street, Moville.

Joe’s older brother, Seamus Davies, was born at James Street, Moville. The family later moved to Portlaoise, where Joe was born on July 18, 1947.

The family then moved to Drogheda, where they established a successful newsagents' shop and family business. Joe and his siblings came to Moville for their summer holidays every year, and he always loved the ice-creams that he got from Fiorentini’s in the town.

A supremely intelligent young man, Joe travelled the world during his early 20s.

He went to college in Clongowes and from there to University College Dublin, where he gained a science degree and qualified as a geologist. He was employed by a mining company and worked for a number of years in Canada, the US and Mexico.

In 1972 Joe decided to return home and go back to college to study law at UCD.

It was there that he met his classmate and future long-term legal partner, Ciaran McLaughlin, from Buncrana. The two Inishowen men became the best of pals from the off, and both qualified as solicitors in 1977.

Ciaran came back to Buncrana to work with CS Kelly & Co, while Joe went to work in Dublin with John N Duff & Co Solicitors.

However, following the death of CS Kelly in 1980, Ciaran contacted Joe and asked him to join him at the firm in Buncrana. Joe was immediately very keen to come to Inishowen, given his Moville connections, and he eventually arrived in Buncrana by 1985.

Joe went on to have a most distinguished career as a legal practitioner in the North-West, and he particularly loved working for his friends and relatives in his beloved Moville.

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Outside of work, Joe loved his classic cars, particularly his Rolls Royce, which he had great fun driving up and down to Dublin.

Meanwhile, members of the wider Davies family would like to express their gratitude to all of the doctors and nurses at the Buncrana Medical Centre, the hospitals, and the Foyle Hospice, for the wonderful care and attention that Joe was shown over the last year.

He will be missed by so many people, but particularly by his brothers, Seamus, Karl and John, sisters-in-law, Patti, Bernadette and Edel, and his nieces and nephews, Eleanor, John-Paul, Brian, James, Katie, Lauren, Isabella, his cousin Bobby and his great friends, Ciaran, Finola, Liam and Terrie Campbell.

May he rest in peace.