The cause of death of an Offaly farmer who married the day before he died, could not be determined because of embalming of the body, a pathologist told an inquest on Friday.
Joseph Grogan of Screggan, Tullamore, on whose land this year’s National Ploughing Championships, died on April 15th, 2023 at his home.
His widow, Lisa Flaherty told the inquest of how her husband, a 75-year-old man diagnosed with stage four cancer, did not have to be lifted into a car after the marriage ceremony. Ms Flaherty said he had weighed 12 to 13 stone before he became ill but at the time of his death was just seven stone.
The validity of the marriage had first been questioned in May when the inquest opened and Damien Tansey, SC, who appeared for relations of Mr Grogan, again asked questions about it when the full hearing began on Friday before Offaly County Coroner, Raymond Mahon.
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A marriage certificate was handed into the court but Mr Tansey indicated that it could be contested in the High Court.
There were tense exchanges between Mr Tansey and the coroner, plus the legal representative of Ms Flaherty, Stephen Byrne, BL.
The inquest is inquiring into the death of Joseph (Joe) Grogan who died after undergoing four cycles of chemotherapy after being diagnosed with stage four Non-Hodgkin lymphoma of the stomach the previous December.
The inquest was told by the pathologist who carried out a post mortem, Dr Charles d’Aldhemar, that he could identify no clear cause of the death because his examination was limited by previous embalming of the body.
Dr d’Aldhemar said it was extremely unusual to be asked to carry out a post mortem on an embalmed body.
Certain tests could not be done because of prior embalming and hence the cause of death was unascertained.
The pathologist said embalming a body can prevent and limit toxicology and microbiology tests.
Nonetheless he found from an examination of vitreous fluid that Zolidem [used for sleeping problems] and two antihistamines had been present in the body.
Dr d’Aldhemar told Mr Tansey that when combined those three drugs could cause respiratory depression but it would depend on the levels and concentration.
The inquest also heard from Dr Kanthi Perera, oncologist, Tullamore Hospital, that Mr Grogan had been responding well to chemotherapy and was due to be assessed for a further cycle before his death.
Dr Perera said she had been surprised when she heard that Mr Grogan had died on April 15th, 2023 10 days after the last session of chemo therapy and said about 60 per cent of patients in his condition could survive for five years with successful further treatment.
Sergeant Justine Reilly gave evidence that she learned on the evening of April 15th that Mr Grogan had died and his remains had been brought to Longford for embalming.
Two days later she was requested to escort the remains from Mr Grogan’s home to the mortuary in Tullamore where an undertaker, Martin Keyes, identified the deceased.
Sergeant Reilly said she had been instructed by the coroner to bring the body to the mortuary and the circumstances were unusual.
Enta Conroy, an elderly second cousin of the deceased described herself as a lifelong friend of his and visited him regularly at home.
When she called on the afternoon of April 14th, she noticed Mr Grogan’s condition had deteriorated again. A marriage was not mentioned, said Ms Conroy.
She also told of her belief that she had not seen a priest at the house and she brought a crucifix and holy water into Mr Grogan.
Ms Conroy said there had been no mention of a doctor in the days before Mr Grogan died.
Dr A Ben Kato, a GP with Midoc, the Midlands out-of-hours service, gave evidence of pronouncing Mr Grogan dead after calling to his house and finding no clinical sign of life. He had never met Joseph Grogan before.
Dr Kato said he reported the death into the system whereby it would go back to his own GP. He also said he had not given anyone authority to move the body from the house and he would not be able to give an opinion as to the cause of death.
Dr Kato also said that another GP, Dr McHale, who was said to be Mr Grogan’s GP, did not sign a death certificate because she had not seen the deceased.
In a deposition read into the record, Dr Grainne McHale said that while she had taken over Mr Grogan’s care from a Dr Scanlon, he had never come to the practice, she never met him and she never prescribed for him.
Aidan Dignam, a paramedic, said that when he arrived at Mr Grogan’s house and explained that he should go to hospital because he was dying, the man said he would not go back to the hospital because there was nothing they could do for him.
In her own evidence, Lisa Flaherty said herself and Joe Grogan had been together for over 16 years having known each other since she was in her teens.
Ms Flaherty said that in December 2022 Joe had gone to see Dr Shane Carroll in Banagher, Co Offaly and after bloods were taken he was diagnosed with cancer.
They got married on the April 14th after that and the following day Joe did not want to go back to hospital because he wanted to stay at home and didn’t want to go in the ambulance.
He had everything arranged for his funeral and she was delighted when the undertaker told her that he could be embalmed and brought back home that night because he had said he did not want to be left on a slab anywhere.
Ms Flaherty said that being brought away to a mortuary was “the one thing he didn’t want”.
Under cross-examination by Mr Tansey, Ms Flaherty said she had been romantically linked with Mr Grogan but also agreed that she had a partner, Seamus Meacle, for a number of years.
Ms Flaherty disputed evidence from Ms Conroy that a priest had not been to the house, saying that the local priest, Fr Michael Whittaker, had been in to see Mr Grogan daily before his death.
Ms Flaherty, a special needs assistant in a school, said she had three children but none of them were Joe’s.
Ms Flaherty also denied that she had attempted to restrict visitors to Mr Grogan but said a “no visitors” sign was put on the door around the time of chemo because of the threat of infection.
On the day of his death she first contacted the oncology department and was advised to ring an ambulance. Her sister, Niamh Higgins, a psychiatric nurse, was present and she contacted Midoc.
When Mr Tansey asked Ms Flaherty if it was fair to say the relationship between herself and Joe had never been consummated, Mr Byrne intervened and said in 35 years of practice he had never heard such a scandalous question being asked.
The coroner ruled that he would not allow Mr Tansey’s question.
When she was cross examined by Mr Tansey again about her marriage when Mr Grogan was so ill she said that Joe had been transported to the registry office by car.
She was certain he did not have to be lifted into a car when they came out of the registry office.
Ms Flaherty was the final witness and Mr Mahon said the inquest will resume on Tuesday, July 15th.
