Waterford County Coroner holds inquests
The inquests were held at Waterford Courthouse.
Waterford Courthouse recently held inquests into sudden deaths throughout the South East region.
County Coroner John P. Goff presided over the hearings, into the final days and passing of several people.
Each person had a family, had friends and have left a great absence in the world.
Garda Inspector Shay Keevans gave his sincere condolences towards the loved ones of each person, as did Mr Goff.
One hearing heard of the tragic death of a man in his early 20's who died while driving in South Kilkenny. He was involved in a traffic collision and was taken to the Emergency Department at University Hospital Waterford (UHW) by ambulance. He was identified by his father in the hospital.
Consultant Pathologist at UHW Dr Fergus McSweeney carried out the post mortem and detected massive cerebral hemorrhage. No alcohol or drug substances were detected in his system. The hearing was adjourned to a later date.
This was followed by the hearing into a the death of a young woman in her 30's, who was discovered unresponsive in her home. Concerns were raised after she was offline on messaging systems for a day. Gardaí carried out a wellness check on her home, where she was discovered.
Dr McSweeney carried out the post mortem. He told the inquest that the woman had ligatures marks on her neck. Regarding her time of death, he said her body had shown no signs of de-composure. The cause of death was asphyxiation. Mr Goff said to her family: "I'd like to extend my sympathies to your family for this terrible loss."
The hearing proceeded on to the death of a man who had been brought to UHW after being involved in a road traffic accident. He went into cardiac arrest and was transferred to the ICU (Intensive Care Unit) with an enlarged heart. His heart weighed 720 grams, over twice the average weight of 350 grams. He suffered multiple organ failure, including a subdural hemorrhage and pneumonia, triggered by the accident.
The inquest later heard the circumstances of the death of a man in his 30's, in Waterford. In late 2023, a relation of the man became worried when he didn't show up for work. He went to the man's home, which was unlocked. The inquest heard the man discovered his cousin unresponsive. The relation called the emergency services. A post mortem was performed at UHW, and the cause of death was given as asphyxiation.
The inquest hearing also heard details of a man aged in his 60s who passed away from injuries after suffering a fall, including subdural hemorrhage and fractured ribs and skull. The cause of death was was brain injury due to a fall.
