This article is from page 20 of the 2007-10-16 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 20 JPG
A MAN who died suddenly at his Ennis home had an enlarged heart, three times normal weight.
Brendan Corcoran (53), a native of Mayo, died at his home at Bishop’s Court on May 17 last. At Ennis Cor- oner’s Court last week, Brendan’s
brother Gerry recalled last seeing him at around 8.45am that morning. He said Brendan, a part-time busi- nessman, had been in “good form”’.
Some 12 hours later, Gerry re- turned home. Brendan was in the kitchen. He called out his name but did not get a response. He touched his forehead and it was cold.
The emergency services were con- tacted and Mr Corcoran was pro- nounced dead at 10.20pm that night.
Garda Michael Sweeney told the inquest he received a call to go to the Corcoran home. When he arrived at the scene, the body of Brendan Corc- oran was lying on the kitchen floor.
Pathologist Dr Peter Fawl carried
out a post mortem examination on the deceased’s body, at Limerick Re- gional Hospital, on May 19.
He said the level of alcohol in his blood was “extremely high” and also noted that his heart was enlarged.
He said, in his opinion, death was due to acute cardiac failure, second- ary to heart disease and coronary
heart disease, in association with the levels of alcohol. “His heart was approximately three times normal weight. That would be the most sig- nificant factor here,’ said Dr Fawl.
Coroner Isobel O’Dea said she felt that the appropriate verdict was in accordance with medical evidence and the jury agreed with this.