tragic death Tributes paid after son of notorious criminal John 'The Coach' Traynor dies

The son of notorious criminal John ‘The Coach’ Traynor has died in tragic circumstances just under five months after his father passed away in England.

Foul play is not suspected in the death of Ronnie Traynor (40) whose body was discovered yesterday at a location in the Firhouse area of the capital.

Ronnie Traynor was involved in the construction business and is also understood to be a father to at least one child.

Described as a very popular and friendly man, sources say that his tragic death has devastated his wide circle of friends.

There have been numerous hearbreaking tributes to Mr Traynor on social media including from a woman who was very close to him who said: “You were one in a million, popular, funny, a gentleman, a charmer and a loving father and step father. You loved your siblings and mum so much.”

His tragic death comes after his father ‘The Coach’ died in England last October at the age of 73.

‘The Coach’ passed away in Kent where he had been living for several years.

Traynor had been receiving palliative care in a hospice after being diagnosed with terminal cancer.

Dubbed the ‘Coach’ by Veronica Guerin, Traynor had been one of the journalist’s main underworld sources who, at the time of her murder in 1996, was seeking a High Court injunction to stop her publishing a story about his involvement in the drug trade.

He was a close associate of notorious gang boss John Gilligan whose gang murdered the journalist.

The Coach fled Ireland within days of the murder of Veronica Guerin and never returned.

He was suspected of involvement in drugs trafficking for many decades after he left Ireland.

Investigating gardai at the time, most of whom are retired now, believe he is the man who tipped off Gilligan that Ms Guerin would be on her way back from Naas Courthouse, Co Kildare, on the day she was shot on June 26, 1996.

Retired Brian Sherry, who was involved in Ms Guerin's murder probe before becoming a detective inspector, said there was "absolutely no doubt" that he did and that he avoided justice.

Mr Sherry was speaking in the aftermath of The Coach’s death in England.

Traynor was a career criminal, involved in fraud and prostitution, and although his rise alongside Gilligan was at a new level, he had worked alongside another infamous criminal - Martin "The General" Cahill - in the 1970s and 1980s.

In 1992, Traynor was jailed for seven years for a stolen bearer bond scam in the UK but absconded on temporary release. By the time Cahill was murdered by the IRA in 1994, Traynor and Gilligan had struck up a relationship which led to one of the biggest drug trafficking organisations that Ireland had ever seen.

Gilligan – now based in Spain - was found not guilty of Ms Guerin's murder in 2001, but was jailed for 20 years for drug offences and was released in 2013.

It is not known if he and Traynor ever met again after Gilligan’s release.