A Tullamore, Co Offaly, farmer who died the day after he married probably died of an infection associated with his stage-four cancer, his immune system being compromised because of chemotherapy and significant weight loss, a coroner has ruled.
Giving a narrative verdict, Raymond Mahon said the evidence did not exist to support a finding of unlawful killing as had been suggested.
While there was evidence of a circumstantial nature, it did not come “anywhere near” the level that would be required to support such a finding.
Mr Mahon gave his finding at the end of a three-day inquest at Tullamore Courthouse into the death of Joseph (Joe) Grogan (75), of Screggan, outside Tullamore, Co Offaly.
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Mr Grogan died at home on April 15th, 2023, on a 220-acre farm that the hearing has been told has been valued at €5.5 million and was used three times for the National Ploughing Championships.
Part of the farm had been purchased years earlier to accommodate the Tullamore bypass, with Mr Grogan having been paid approximately €800,000, the inquest was told.
The evidence was that Mr Grogan died at about 3pm and that his body was embalmed later that evening in Longford and then returned to his home outside Tullamore. He would have been buried the following day but for the intervention of Mr Mahon, who directed that the body be repossessed for a postmortem.
However, the inquest was told by pathologist Charles d’Adhemar that he could identify no clear cause of death and the embalming had limited the scope of his examination.
In his submission at the end of the hearing of the evidence, Damien Tansey, senior counsel for four members of the Grogan family, urged the coroner not to return a verdict but to refer the matter to the Director of Public Prosecutions.
The court heard Mr Grogan did not receive any medical care in the period between his receiving chemotherapy at Tullamore hospital on April 5th, 2023, and his death 10 days later.
“The only time he was taken from the house was to be taken to the registry office for a marriage,” said Mr Tansey.
A marriage certificate showing Mr Grogan’s marriage to Lisa Flaherty was shown at the inquest. Ms Flaherty told the inquest she was born in 1974, lived close to Mr Grogan, and had her first romantic involvement with him when she was 16.
However, the coroner ruled that the validity of the marriage was not something that could be inquired into at the inquest.
The inquest heard Ms Flaherty had had a long-term relationship with one man and another relationship with another man who was the father of her three children. It heard Mr Grogan had an earlier relationship with a woman for more than 20 years, but had not married.
When Ms Flaherty was giving evidence, Mr Tansey sought to ask her if her marriage to Mr Grogan had been consummated, but the coroner said the question was inappropriate.
In his submission at the end of the evidence, barrister Stephen Byrne, for Ms Flaherty, said he was concerned the inquest had been used to attack the good name of his client.
“Mr Tansey has all but fallen short of accusing Lisa Flaherty of causing the death of Mr Grogan,” he said.
He said there was no doubt but that if the Garda had seen anything in the file that caused them to open an investigation, they would have applied for the inquest to be adjourned.
