Cause of death of Offaly farmer can't be determined due to embalming, inquest hears

The Journal

3 days ago

THE CAUSE OF death of an elderly Offaly farmer who died a day after he got married two years ago could not be determined because his body had been embalmed, a pathologist has told an inquest.
Joe Grogan (75) of Screggan, Tullamore, Co Offaly – a well-known figure in Irish farming circles for hosting the National Ploughing Championships on his lands between 2016 and 2018 – died at home on 15 April, 2023.
This year's event will be hosted by his widow, Lisa Flaherty (51) at the same site from 16 to 18 September.
An inquest into Mr Grogan's death at Offaly Coroner's Court on Friday heard his remains had been brought to Longford for embalming before a postmortem could be carried out on his body.
Similar to a previous sitting of the inquest in May, the hearing was dominated by heated exchanges between legal representatives of relatives of the deceased and Ms Flaherty over claims the hearing was being used to question the validity of Mr Grogan's marriage.
A marriage certificate was provided to the coroner, Raymond Mahon, by Ms Flaherty's counsel, Stephen Byrne BL.
The inquest heard that a local parish priest, Fr Michael Whittaker, who called to see Mr Grogan every day when he was ill, did not perform the marriage which was held in a registry office.
A pathologist, Charles D'Adhemar, told the hearing that he was unable to ascertain the cause of Mr Grogan's death due to the embalming process which placed serious constraints on any examination of tissues and organs.
Dr D'Adhemar explained that embalming limits and can entirely prevent the making of findings about toxicology and possible infection in a body.
The inquest heard that he had only come across one other previous case in 17 years where a body had been embalmed before a postmortem could be carried out.
Dr D'Adhemar also confirmed that there was no fresh evidence of a spread of cancer for which Mr Grogan was being successfully treated.
In evidence, Ms Flaherty, a special needs assistant, said her husband had everything arranged about his death as he did not want to be on his own in a hospital or overnight in a church.
Ms Flaherty said an undertaker had organised that after the embalming Mr Grogan's body could be laid out at home later that evening.
'Joe had the nicest death we could wish for him,' she added.
Ms Flaherty told the inquest that she and Mr Grogan had been together for over 16 years.
She gave evidence that he became ill in December 2022 and kept saying he was dying.
Ms Flaherty estimated Mr Grogan had lost about six stone in weight over five months before his death and became tearful when she outlined how she felt guilty that she had not noticed that he was losing weight.
The court heard the deceased was stressed and worried that he would not make their wedding day.
However, Ms Flaherty confirmed that he had not required assistance getting in and out of the car that brought them to a registry office for their marriage.
She recalled that she slept on a couch, while he slept on a bed on the night before his death when he spoke about what he wanted for his funeral.
The following morning, Ms Flaherty said she called an ambulance as she felt he had shortness of breath.
The inquest heard paramedics wanted to bring Mr Grogan to hospital but he did not want to go as he was dying and he wanted to die at home.
Under cross-examination by Damien Tansey SC, counsel for three first cousins of the deceased – Alo, Margaret and Seán Grogan – Ms Flaherty acknowledged she had been in another relationship for about six years up to 2020.
She explained she first went out with Mr Grogan when she was 16.
Ms Flaherty said she had closed her social media accounts after the earlier hearing in May as she did not want to hear 'what keyboard warriors on the far side of Australia think about me' and not because they contained photos of her previous partner.
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She accepted she had not contacted a doctor or the hospital in Tullamore about Mr Grogan until April 15, 2023 as she had no reason to.
Ms Flaherty agreed she knew Mr Grogan was getting sicker and he kept saying he was dying.
Asked about the condition of his cancer, Ms Flaherty replied: 'I knew the treatment was working for Joe but he didn't accept it.'
She could not explain why his body was sent to Longford for embalming but she was 'just thrilled' that he would be back home that evening.
'Joe did not want to be on a slab overnight in a church, mortuary or morgue,' she remarked.
Mr Tansey observed that there was 'disquiet and unease in the community' that Mr Grogan had passed so quickly given that the cancer he was suffering was 'eminently treatable.'
He claimed it was 'extraordinary' that none of the deceased's family were aware that he had a romantic relationship with Ms Flaherty or that they were going to get married.
There were large sounds of disapproval from some people attending the inquest when the barrister asked Ms Flaherty if she had even consummated their relationship.
Ms Flaherty rejected the barrister's suggestion that she had engaged in a campaign designed to isolate Mr Grogan from his family including putting up 'no visitors' signs at his home.
She explained the signs were placed to reduce the risk of infection.
A relative of the deceased, Enta Conroy, gave evidence that she never heard any mention of his marriage in his final week, despite being a daily caller to his home over the period.
A second cousin of the farmer, Ms Conroy, said she was also unaware that Mr Grogan was in a relationship with Ms Flaherty and had never seen a wedding ring.
Ms Conroy, who described Mr Grogan as 'a lifetime friend' said his condition had deteriorated by April 14, 2023.
When she called the following day at 12.30pm, Ms Conroy said she took out a crucifix and holy water and blessed her cousin as it did not appear Mr Grogan had been given the last rites.
She claimed there had been no mention by Ms Flaherty at any time in the days and weeks before his death that a marriage had taken place.
The inquest heard Mr Grogan was very down when he called to see her after getting out of hospital
Ms Conroy added that 'in his head he knew he was going to die.'
She told the hearing that Ms Flaherty spoke up and said she was going to move into Mr Grogan's home.
When Ms Conroy said there was no need for that, she said Ms Flaherty replied that she had already moved in.
The witness said Mr Grogan was 'surprised and shocked' at that.
She stressed that she did 'not want any gain of any kind' from her cousin but also that she had 'nothing to say about the Flahertys' adding that Ms Flaherty 'was there for Joe' and was 'good for him.'
Under cross-examination by My Byrne, Ms Conroy accepted Mr Grogan had lost a lot of weight as he had not been eating properly.
'I could see a change in him every day,' said Ms Conroy. 'I knew he was dying.'
A consultant haematologist at the Midland Regional Hospital Tullamore, Kanthi Perera, told the inquest that Mr Grogan was diagnosed with Stage IV Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (a form of blood cancer) in January 2023.
Dr Parera recalled that he had not taken the diagnosis of cancer well, even though he had responded well to chemotherapy.
She expressed surprise that had died so quickly as his treatment had been 'promising.'
The hearing was adjourned and will resume on July 15.
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