Coroner rejects Garda probe into farmer's death a day after 'secret' marriage
The dramatic application was made at the conclusion of a three-day inquest into the death of Joe Grogan (75) who died at his home in Screggan, Tullamore, Co Offaly on April 15, 2023 just 24 hours after he got married to to his part-time carer, Lisa Flaherty, in a registry office unknown to any of his relatives who were unaware the couple were even in a relationship.
Mr Grogan was a well-known figure in Irish farming circles for hosting the National Ploughing Championships between 2016 and 2018, while the farm will also stage this year's event in September.
The inquest at Offaly Coroner's Court in Tullamore heard that Ms Flaherty – a special needs assistant and mother of three who was 26 years junior to her husband – stands to inherit the 220-acre farm which is valued at €5.5 million as his widow.
It had previously heard that the cause of the farmer's death could not be determined because it was embalmed before a postmortem could be carried out which restricted the tests that could be conducted by a pathologist.
The farmer had been diagnosed with Stage IV Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (a form of blood cancer) in January 2023 and had responded well to treatment, although Ms Flaherty gave evidence that he believed he was dying. 19/07/25 - Widow of Joe Grogan, Lisa Flaherty, pictured leaving the Tullamore Coroner's Court (Image: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin)
On Tuesday, counsel for three cousins of the deceased – Alo, Margaret and Seán Grogan – Damien Tansey SC, called on the coroner, Raymond Mahon, not to return a verdict and to refer the matter to the DPP for a forensic examination of Mr Grogan's death by gardaí.
Mr Tansey said it would be most unfair to the farmer's memory and to his family if the request was declined.
Separately, Peter Jones, a solicitor for an aunt of the deceased, Teresa Mooney, also asked the coroner to refer the death to gardaí and to return an open verdict.
Mr Jones claimed the inquest had left 'an awful lot of unanswered questions' and the circumstances of Mr Grogan's death could only be challenged by trained personnel used to investigating 'suspicious deaths.'
However, Mr Mahon returned a narrative verdict based on extensive evidence and claimed the farmer's death was probably due to an infection on the balance of probabilities.
He noted the deceased was a person with a Stage IV high grade cancer who was receiving chemotherapy treatment with a compromised immune system who had also suffered 'significant weight loss.'
Mr Grogan's weight went from 79kg in June 2022 to 67.6kg at the time he was diagnosed with cancer and to 51kg at the time of his death.
The coroner said evidence from witnesses of Mr Grogan's 'slow, elongated decline' lent support to his view that Mr Grogan's death was caused by an infection. 19/07/25 - Sean Grogan, cousin of the late Joe Grogan speaks to the media with his counsel, Damien Tansey SC and family members pictured leaving the Tullamore Coroner's Court (Image: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin)
He rejected the suggestion of Mr Tansey that a verdict of unlawful killing could be considered as the evidence was not 'anywhere near the level of proof' required to support such a finding.
Referring to a claim by Mr Jones that the farmer had been 'left to die,' Mr Mahon said there was valid criticism about the way Mr Grogan's care was managed following his last session of chemotherapy.
However, Mr Mahon, who retired as coroner following the case, noted that the deceased had repeatedly told people he did not want to go to hospital and a relative had stated that it was obvious he was dying.
In a submission, Mr Tansey said there was disquiet in the area where Mr Grogan lived over the circumstances of his death which had been significantly added to by the evidence heard at the inquest.
He claimed that the coroner also appeared 'sufficiently troubled' to repossess the body after it had been embalmed to allow an examination to be carried out to try and establish the cause of death.
Mr Tansey said the pathologist Charles D'Adhemar, was working in impossible circumstances due to the 'irreparable damage' caused by the embalming process.
However, he noted that Dr D'Adhemar had been able to detect the presence of three drugs in the body of the deceased which if used in a combination of large quantities could cause respiratory depression.
Mr Tansey accused Ms Flaherty of telling 'porkies' by putting out a false narrative that the farmer was at the end stage of life and requiring palliative care.
He observed that Ms Flaherty had not tried to explain that she was in an 'on-off relationship' with Mr Grogan when she gave evidence that their relationship had been over 16 years but later having to admit that she had another partner up to 2020.
Mr Tansey said another troubling issue was the secrecy surrounding the couple's marriage about which even Ms Flaherty's sister and best friend were unaware. 19/07/25 - Friends and Grogan family members hug pictured leaving the Tullamore Coroner's Court (Image: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin)
He also observed she had not called any doctor to see Mr Grogan for the ten days he had been at home before his death after being discharged from hospital after chemotherapy.
The barrister claimed Ms Flaherty had also called an undertaker with 'indecent haste' and had tried to 'ensnare' a doctor in her scheme for getting the body released.
There was a gasped reaction among the large crowd attending the inquest when Mr Tansey reminded the coroner that a verdict of unlawful killing was open to him.
He pointed out that Mr Grogan was clearly ill in the days before his death and there was going to be 'a dreadful end' if there was no appropriate medical intervention.
However, he said the only time the farmer was taken from his house during that period was to go to a registry office 'to hurriedly and secretly arrange a marriage.'
In his submission, Mr Jones said the most solid evidence at the inquest came from doctors who had never given a direction that Mr Grogan required palliative care as suggested by Ms Flaherty.
He noted an oncologist had stated the farmer's death was not inevitable and Mr Jones said it would be a travesty to suggest otherwise.
The solicitor remarked that a 'reign of secrecy' had prevailed over Mr Grogan's final days, while adding that his death was not due to cancer, heart failure or any infection.
However, he claimed the inquest, despite the coroner's best efforts, had not come any nearer to establishing the cause of death.
Mr Jones also noted the 'cruelty' of members of the Grogan family being excluded and only being told of the farmer's death by a friend.
He argued the only people who could 'get to the bottom of this' would be An Garda Síochána and a further investigation would 'satisfy public disquiet.'
The solicitor said Mr Grogan wanted to live and had 'everything to live for.'
However, counsel for Mr Flaherty, Stephen Byrne BL, claimed the inquest had been used to attack Ms Flaherty's good name and reputation.
Mr Byrne said one submission had just stopped short of accusing her of causing Mr Grogan's death.
He claimed the fact that gardaí had not taken any further steps to date 'must carry some weight.'
Mr Byrne reminded the coroner that one of Mr Grogan's own relatives, Enta Conroy, had given evidence that he was fading and approaching the end of his life.
He pointed out that no member of the Grogan family had contacted any doctor if they were so concerned about his health.
The barrister said he struggled to find the relevance of the marriage to the inquest, while the coroner had directed that its validity was not open for discussion.
He also sharply criticised the approach adopted by the Grogan family to the inquest and how they thought it fit and appropriate that Ms Flaherty should have been asked if her marriage had ever been consummated.
The previous two days of evidence of the inquest had also been dominated by bad-tempered exchanges between the legal representatives after the validity of the marriage was questioned, despite a marriage certificate being produced at the hearing.
There were further heated exchanges on Tuesday after Mr Tansey claimed previous evidence of Ms Flaherty which stated her relationship with the deceased started when she was 16 'puts it in the realm of being a paedophile.'
Ms Flaherty was heard to call the barrister a 'scumbag' in response.
Offering his commiserations to all parties at the conclusion of the inquest, the coroner said it had been 'a very difficult case for everyone.'
Speaking afterwards, Seán Grogan said his family had just wanted to find that 'our cousin was treated properly in his dying days' after concerns were first raised when his funeral arrangements had been 'chopped and changed.'
Mr Tansey said the Grogans had been surprised and concerned to find out that no medical personnel had been contacted by Ms Flaherty in the 10 days before his death when it was clear he was suffering some infection from his last session of chemotherapy.
The barrister said the focus 'from here on in will be the merit and circumstances of that marriage.'
Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Examiner
3 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Gareth O'Callaghan: 50 years after Miami Showband killings, the scars of The Troubles still remain
Maybe everybody feels this way about the long hazy days of their teenage summers, but the summers in the mid-1970s were unforgettable. Long sunny days were hitched to an endless soundtrack of classic songs and pop stars whose posters adorned every teenager's bedroom in the country. The year 1975 was particularly memorable, but not just for the weather. I remember where I was on the morning of July 31 that year. Sitting in the back of the family car, I listened in shock as news of the ambush and execution of three members of the Miami Showband broke on RTÉ. I was 14, and what I was listening to was unthinkable. Fifty years later, as the anniversary approaches next Thursday, it still is. Having left the Castle Ballroom in Banbridge, Co Down, shortly after 2am, after an unexpected treat of Irish stew prepared by the venue's staff, the minibus carrying five of the band — Fran O'Toole, Des 'Lee' McAlea, Tony Geraghty, Brian McCoy, and Stephen Travers — was stopped in the townland of Buskhill, eight miles from Newry, at a military checkpoint. They were ordered out of the van and questioned. Unknown to the band, the armed men dressed in British Army uniforms were members of the paramilitary Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF). Seconds later, a bomb that was being placed under the driver's seat by two of the loyalist killers, Harris Boyle and Wesley Somerville, exploded prematurely, killing both. Three of the Miami— Fran, Tony, and Brian — were gunned down as they tried to make their escape across a field they had been blown into by the force of the explosion, and then shot dead while lying on their backs pleading for their lives to be spared. Stephen was shot and seriously wounded. Des escaped uninjured. Why would anyone target a group of musicians who were entertaining young people from both sides of the North's political divide? Music, after all, is meant to bridge all kinds of divides. After all, the Miami's song 'Clap Your Hands, Stomp Your Feet' meant the same to a Protestant teenager as it did to a Catholic. It's impossible to describe the hateful intent that hung in the air that night on the North's A1, as some of the most dangerous killers of 'The Troubles' lay in wait for their targets. It wasn't the terrorists' intention to shoot them. The plan was to allow them to continue on their journey, while, unknown to any of them, transporting a massive bomb set on a short timer — most likely to detonate while the van was travelling through Newry. Clearly, the UVF's plan was to manipulate the enormous love shown to the band by its thousands of fans both north and south. If the bomb had exploded, then the innocent musicians would forever have been remembered as republican terrorists transporting an explosive device north of the border. Fifty years later, the world would still be none the wiser about the bogus checkpoint that night, or the UVF's involvement. Although three innocent men lost their lives, the original plan was foiled. Nor would there have been a 2011 report by the PSNI's Historical Enquiries Team pointing to collusion between the RUC and loyalist paramilitaries in relation to the killings. According to Martin Dillon, in his book The Dirty War, at least five serving Ulster Defence Regiment soldiers were present at the checkpoint. It's impossible to describe the hateful intent that hung in the air that night on the North's A1, as some of the most dangerous killers of 'The Troubles' lay in wait for their targets. The memorial plaque to Miami Showband members Tony Geraghty, Fran O'Toole and Brian McCoy outside the former National Ballroom on Parnell Square in Dublin. Picture: Billy Higgins Is the North a better place 50 years later? It depends on who you ask. South Armagh, with its lush green countryside, is a pleasure to drive through on a sunny July morning; but memories of the Glenanne gang, and its secret alliance of soldiers, police, and UVF members, who murdered innocent Catholics and nationalists in the 1970s, don't disappear with time. Take a stroll along the predominantly loyalist Shankill Road in West Belfast, and it doesn't take long to be reminded of Lenny Murphy, who headed up the Shankill Butchers, who, during the 1970s, brought a new level of paramilitary savagery to a city already on its knees as a result of cold-blooded sectarian killings. There are reminders everywhere that all six counties paid dearly for the hatred of others — often neighbours and work colleagues. Murder could knock on anyone's door, depending on your religion and your allegiances in the community, on where you went to church, or took a pint. Who you worked for often determined whether you became a hitman's target. No one felt safe, and if they did, they were only fooling themselves. The Cork Examiner's front-page report on the Miami showband massacre on August 1, 1975 On the surface, Northern Ireland is different to what it was 50 years ago. Despite Belfast's brutal past, it has become a booming tourist destination. Just like Derry, its bloody history is a curiosity for visitors. But there are those who will tell you it's a history that's not over — just dormant. It wouldn't take a lot to stir the pot. A friend who has lived in Banbridge all his life once told me, 'No one should opine on the history of Northern Ireland unless they lived here during The Troubles', but we've known each other long enough so I doubt he'll mind. It's a place of anomalies and contradictions. It's a part of the United Kingdom, but it shares the same island as a separate sovereign country. One of those anomalies is violence — a reminder that political and civic decisions are forever mindful of orange and green. There are still places where to openly display your Irish pride could get you mistaken for a closet Provo, and vice versa if your loyalty is to the Crown Jewels; but it will no longer cost you your job or your life if you openly support a united Ireland. However, all that happened will never go away. How do you discuss the past with someone whose father walked into a pub carrying a gun and murdered a bunch of his neighbours who were enjoying a football match? What if you're the son of one of them? Despite the peace deal in 1998, many of Northern Ireland's Catholics and Protestants continue to live mostly separate lives. More than 90% of children attend schools segregated by religion. The loyalist bonfire in Moygashel, Co Tyrone, featuring a model migrant boat with life-sized mannequins in life jackets. Picture: Eamonn Farrell / There's a direct link between deprivation and political violence, which the peace agreement failed to address. Add to that the recent violence caused by ethnic discrimination. Seeing news footage of a bonfire topped with mannequins in a boat — representing migrants — in the Tyrone village of Moygashel recently reminded me of the hate that drove the killings of the Miami. For many people, nothing has changed. Moygashel native Wesley Somerville, who blew himself up with his own bomb that night 50 years ago, was honoured in recent weeks when loyalists hung a banner bearing his image from a lamppost in the same village. Let's hope the late Seamus Mallon was right when he said: 'Violence interrupts but does not determine history'. A 45-minute drive south-east of Moygashel brings you back to Banbridge, where three white ribbons still hang from branches close to where the Miami massacre took place, a constant reminder of precarious peace. Read More Two children and woman killed in shooting in Co Fermanagh while man remains in hospital
The Journal
4 hours ago
- The Journal
Silent vigil held outside Justice Department following assault of Indian man in Tallaght
OVER 100 MEMBERS of the Indian community in Ireland held a silent vigil outside the Department of Justice this afternoon after an Indian man was assaulted in Tallaght last weekend. Last Saturday evening, a man in his 40s was assaulted by a group of youths in the Parkhill Road area of Kilnamanagh in south-west Dublin after being falsely accused of inappropriate behaviour. The man was stripped of his pants and underwear by the gang during the vicious attack. Gardaí have appealed to anyone who may have witnessed the assault to come forward. People Before Profit's Paul Murphy said the assault appeared to be the latest in a 'series of recent racially motivated attacks by a gang' in the area. 'The racist groups and individuals who spread their hate bear a heavy responsibility for this and for racist attacks elsewhere' said Murphy. 'Their lies and hate create the atmosphere in which these attacks take place.' This afternoon at 3pm, Friends of India, Ireland held a 40-minute silent vigil in front of the Department of Justice in solidarity with the victim of the recent violent attack in Tallaght. The organisers said it was also a 'collective call for justice, unity, and action against hate crimes'. Labour TD Ciarán Ahern was at the silent vigil and said 'proud to stand in solidarity with members of our Indian community'. Advertisement He added: 'We will not stand for this. We will not allow our communities to become places of fear and hate.' Proud to stand in solidarity with members of our Indian community today🇮🇪🇮🇳 An Indian man was viciously attacked in Tallaght in an appalling unprovoked racist attack last weekend We will not stand for this. We will not allow our communities to become places of fear & hate❤️ — Ciarán Ahern TD (@ciaranahern) July 25, 2025 Speaking to RTÉ at the vigil, Shashank Chakerwart said last weekend's assault 'isn't an isolated incident'. 'As a community, it is important for us to come together and simply protect the dignity of that human being who was stripped naked, who had to walk around the street. You don't want that on Irish streets,' he said. 'It most certainly isn't an isolated incident, because so many migrant communities have been impacted by these violent teenage gangs,' he added. An anti-racism demonstration was also held in Tallaght this evening at 6.30pm in response to last weekend's attack. Anti-racism demonstration in Tallaght this evening People Before Profit People Before Profit Speaking ahead of this demonstration, People Before Profit Councillor for Tallaght South Kay Keane remarked that the area is in 'shock since we learned of the appalling attack'. 'We will not stand by and let this go unchallenged, so Tallaght is coming together to reject the attackers and their hate,' Keane added. Fellow People Before Profit Councillor Darragh Adelaide added: 'The racist groups who spread their hate bear responsibility for this and for other racist attacks. 'It's the far right's lies and hate that create the atmosphere in which these attacks take place. 'They bear a very heavy responsibility for what happened on Saturday and in other racially motivated attacks'. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
The Irish Sun
9 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Fresh Sophie Toscan murder breakthrough hopes as US experts ‘praying' DNA tests on bloodstains will solve killer mystery
FORENSIC experts are 'praying' new DNA tests will help solve the 29-year murder mystery of Sophie Toscan du Plantier. A specialist team from the Advertisement 5 Sophie was battered and left to die at the gateway to her holiday home Credit: AFP - Getty 5 The murder took place on December 23, 1996, at this house near Schull in Cork Credit: AFP - Getty 5 Self-proclaimed suspect Ian Bailey died last year Credit: AFP or licensors The mum-of-one was battered and left to die at the gateway to her holiday home on December 23, 1996, near Schull in Co Although self-proclaimed suspect Ian Bailey was arrested, he was never charged and always denied any involvement. Bailey died last year. The Advertisement READ MORE IN IRISH NEWS It is understood Mr Bradley's team carried out extensive new testing with members of Forensic Science Ireland after travelling from its headquarters in Their new M-Vac system works using wet vacuum principles to release and capture cells. A substance is sprayed directly onto the surface while vacuum pressure is simultaneously applied around the pattern, to collect the buffer and suspended particles in a collection bottle. Before travelling over to Advertisement MOST READ IN THE IRISH SUN 'If what I believe will happen actually does, it will be massive for us in a host of ways. 'Please pray for us.' VALUE OF THE EQUIPMENT They include the killing of teenager Krystal Beslanowitch in Utah 28 years ago which was similar in detail to that of the savage and brutal Advertisement Both local gardai and the cold case unit have been working on the case since 2022. Head of the Serious Crime Review Team DS Des McTiernan explained in a recent interview how detectives were trying to develop the forensic aspect further. Speaking to The Irish Sun earlier this year, Sophie's uncle Jean Pierre Gazeau told how they still have faith in the gardai. But Jean Pierre explained that for him and his relatives, Bailey is the killer after he was convicted in absentia in Advertisement ONGOING INVESTIGATIONS Jean Pierre told The Irish Sun: 'The investigation team is, I would say, extremely motivated and committed to the investigation. 'There are six people, there are two big rooms and so on. 'And of course, they are in constant contact with the team, the cold case team in Dublin. 'And one of the most important aspects of the investigation is the Advertisement He added: 'We are satisfied by the fact that Ireland, the Irish 'So the only thing which would be really satisfying for us would be Ireland solving the problem, the case. On our side, to some extent, the case was solved.' Professor of forensic science at the She said: 'Based on the articles I have read and seen and the assumption that swabbing [was tried] on the flat rock and the concrete block used to murder Sophie, it is difficult to say any other collection method would be appropriate.' Advertisement REFUSAL TO EXTRADITE Bailey was arrested twice over the murder but never charged due to what the DPP ruled was a lack of evidence. A French But the Irish courts refused to extradite him because most of the evidence produced at the French trial was based on hearsay and would never have been admissible in an Irish court of law. After decades relying on circumstantial evidence, the cold case unit said that it hoped sophisticated new equipment will help them extract the real killer's profile from items. Advertisement This includes the concrete block used to brutally kill her, as well as clothing. At the annual gathering of ASSOPH — The Association for the Truth of the Murder of Sophie — last year, it was revealed that the Garda cold case was now focusing on extracting DNA from the concrete block and the blood covered rock that was used to kill her. It is widely believed that the killer had to leave his own blood on these. ASSOPH hoped that the latest technology will help to provide DNA that may finally see her killer brought to justice. Advertisement Last December, Georges Bouniol, the elderly father of Sophie, passed away in This followed nearly three decades of seeking justice. 5 The murder scene of Sophie, outside her holiday home 5 Jared Bradley, chief executive of M-Vac Systems Credit: Journalist Collect Advertisement
