Coroner urges people to check in on those living alone

The coroner for County Roscommon has repeated his call for people to check in on their neighbours.

Last week, Mr Brian O’Connor was presiding over the inquest into the death of a man whose body was discovered by family members in December 2022, some time after his death.

After hearing the evidence from the pathologist, Gardaí, and others, Mr O’Connor declared an open verdict as the cause of death was uncertain.

The inquest heard that the man was very content in his own company and did not use his phone much. It also heard that Gardaí had checked on him in the days before he was last seen.

In his closing remarks, Mr O’Connor praised the Gardaí, and family members for their testimony and their engagement with the deceased. He also expressed his sincere sympathies to the family of the deceased man, as did the Gardaí.

He again asked that people living in rural areas should check in on members of the community living alone, something he had highlighted at inquests two weeks previously.

Mr O’Connor had originally made his comments following two separate cases involving elderly women being found deceased in their homes last year.

The body of one woman wasn’t discovered for three weeks while the other was deceased for four days before she was found. A verdict of natural death was recorded in both of these cases.