This article is from page 21 of the 2011-03-15 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 21 JPG
A 61-YEAR-OLD woman from North Clare died after falling down the stairs at home, an inquest into her death has heard.
The body of Patricia ‘Patty’ McDevitt was discovered at her home in Boherbue, Doolin, on September 21, 2010.
At Clare County Coroner’s Court in Ennis last Wednesday, a woman who had rented a room from Ms McDevitt for two years recalled coming from work at the Doolin Activity Lodge on the day in question.
In her deposition, the woman said she had seen Ms McDevitt playing with her three dogs when she came home at 6pm.
She said that Ms McDevitt had “seemed to drink a lot” over the past year but on this occasion she could not say if she had been drinking.
The woman left the house and when she came back she saw Ms McDevitt lying at the bottom of the stairs.
The woman said that both she and her boyfriend had been concerned about Ms McDevitt and had raised their concerns with another woman two months earlier.
The inquest also heard from Garda Deirdre Scanlon who said that Ms McDevitt was prononced dead at the scene by a local doctor. The deceased’s body was identified by Garda Andrew Monaghan to Dr Peter Fawl at the Mid Western Region- al Hospital, Limerick, on September 22, 2010.
Dr Fawl told the inquest that Ms McDevitt died from acute head injuries consistent with having fallen down stairs.
Clare County Coroner Isobel O’Dea returned a narrative verdict in accordance with the medical evidence.