Mayo man whose wife died after eating contaminated sardines to sue French wine bar and hospitals

An Irishman whose Greek-born wife died after consuming sardines at a wine bar during the Rugby World Cup in September has revealed that legal action is pending against a wine bar and two hospitals that he claims “inappropriately discharged her” when she became ill.

Marie Grypioti (32) died due to botulism after dining with her Co Mayo-born husband, Cathal Meehan, at Tchin Tchin Wine Bar in Bordeaux.

The couple were in Bordeaux for the starting game of Ireland’s Pool B matches against Romania on September 9th.

Cathal Meehan and a friend, Andrew Clarke, who joined the couple in the wine bar, subsequently fell ill. The two men were treated in hospital and have since recovered.

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[ What is botulism and how is it caused?  ]

A GoFundMe online campaign has been started in order to finance legal action against the restaurant and two hospitals.

Appealing for donations, Mr Meehan posted that his wife was “universally loved and a force of nature”.

“Marie deserves nothing less than justice. Those responsible for this tragic loss must be held accountable, and necessary systemic changes must be implemented to ensure that no other individual or family has to go through such a tragic event ever again.

“We can create a legacy for Marie that compels hospitals and restaurants to provide safer services. In Bordeaux we were joined in the restaurant by our friend Andrew Clarke who also fell severely ill. We’re both now out of the hospital and recovering.”

A target of €100,000 has been set for the fundraising page. Mr Meehan said he expects the legal process to be “lengthy and costly”.

Ms Grypioti, a chemical laboratory scientist, lived in Paris with her husband. She was buried in her native Athens.