A CORONER has spoken of his shock on hearing of the level of drinking by students attending college in Cork city. Mr Cornelius Riordan was speaking during an inquest into the death of a student who was missing for three weeks before his body was discovered.
There was a huge search for Mr Cormac O'Donoghue (20), from Ratharoon, Bandon, Co Cork, by students, gardai and people living in west Cork who came to the city to try to find the student, who disappeared on November 25th.
His body was found three weeks later near Blackrock Castle. The inquest was told that, contrary to rumours, there was no evidence he was bound or that any violence had been involved. Instead, Mr Riordan found that all the evidence pointed to accidental drowning with no question of suicide.
Dr James J. Lucey, a consultant pathologist, replying to Mr Edward O'Driscoll, solicitor for the parents, said there were no injuries on the limbs which would suggest he was tied up before his death, nor were there any indications of blows being struck or of a struggle having taken place.
Garda Liam Quinlan said the body was discovered on rocks near Blackrock Castle on December 16th. "There had been rumours that Cormac's hands were tied, but this was not so. When I found him one of his arms was raised and the other was behind his back. There was no sign of a rope, and his clothing was not disturbed," the garda said. He found credit cards, student identification card and rosary beads in the student's back pocket.
Mr Brian Gleeson, a food science student in UCC who lived in the same house as Mr O'Donoghue, said they went drinking on the Sunday night and, after calling to two bars, went to the Pump House nightclub in Hanover Street. They had a pint each and on seeing there was a promotion for rum, they changed to drinking shorts. They had eight to 10 rums each which they drank without any mixers and downed in one gulp.
Neither he nor Cormac was used to drinking shorts like this and they left at 1.30 a.m. When Mr Gleeson got some fresh air, he said, it hit him fairly badly and he assumed it had had the same effect on his friend. They tried to get into the Globe club but the bouncers turned them away, saying they had had enough to drink.
Mr Gleeson said they sat on the footpath outside the club for a time. They decided to go home, but Cormac started walking down towards North Main Street in the opposite direction to their home in Glasheen. He knew a short cut and went off on his own. That was the last time Mr O'Donoghue was seen alive, the inquest was told.
The coroner said Mr O'Donoghue's death was "enveloped in a cloud of mystery" but the evidence was clear in showing that it was an accident and that he probably fell into the river Lee. He said there were parts of Bachelors Quay which were a "death trap" because the wall was only 1 1/2 ft high there and people, particularly if they had drink taken, could, fall in easily.