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Irish Times
22-07-2025
- Irish Times
Joe Grogan inquest: Millionaire farmer died the day after he was married
An inquest doesn't typically hear questions about the consummation of a relationship or the validity of a marriage certificate, and it's not usual for there to be so many lawyers in a coroner's court. But when there's a farm, valued at €5.5 million at stake, and the circumstances around the death are somewhat confused, it's perhaps to be expected. The three-day inquest into the death of wealthy farmer Joe Grogan (75) at his home on April 15th, 2023 heard questions that a coroner's court is not there to answer. Its job is to establish cause of death. Grogan had been married the previous day, to his long-time friend and sometime carer Lisa Flaherty. A clear cause of death could not be established because he had been embalmed within hours. His 220-acre farm at Screggan, near Tullamore is well-known having hosted the National Ploughing Championships for two years and is set to do so again this year. As his widow, Flaherty stands to inherit his estate. READ MORE Members of Grogan's family questioned the validity of the marriage – they said they were unaware it had taken place – and there were heated scenes in the court. Ultimately the coroner Raymond Mahon ruled that the newly-wed farmer probably died of an infection associated with his stage-four cancer, his immune system being compromised because of chemotherapy and significant weight loss. He said the evidence did not support a finding of unlawful killing as had been suggested and he rejected calls by Grogan's extended family to refer the circumstances of the death to the Garda. Irish Times reporter Colm Keena was in court to hear the verdict and explains the background. Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan.
Daily Mail
22-07-2025
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Revealed: Widow branded a 'gold digger' after secretly marrying super rich farmer a DAY before he died is 'broken' by his bitter family's claims
A widow who was all but accused of murdering her wealthy, much older husband to get his hands on his money has been left 'broken' at the portrayal of her as a cold-hearted gold digger. When Lisa Flaherty, a 50-year-old mother-of-three married dying landowner Joseph Grogan, 75, in secret, he was in the final stages of his long fight against blood cancer. Both Ms Flaherty and Mr Grogan, who had no children of his own, knew he didn't have long left to live, and his motivation was to secure the financial future of the woman who had cared for him - and guarantee her right to inherit his €5.5million estate. As it turned out his death came just 24 hours later and his body was embalmed within hours, making it virtually impossible to determine a definite cause of death. Mr Grogan's passing sparked a bitter war of words between Ms Flaherty and his family, who are fighting her for his 230-acre farm in the rural village of Screggan, a sleepy, forgotten backwater in Co Offaly, central Ireland. They paint a picture of Ms Flaherty as a calculating black widow who, sensing an opportunity to get her hands on his estate, moved in with him in January 2023 to become his carer when he was first diagnosed with stage four non-Hodgkin lymphoma. He died three months later on April 15 of that year. But their story is a lot more complicated than that with her friends keen to point out that it goes all the way back to 1991 when Ms Flaherty was 16 and had just finished school and he was a 41-year-old farmer, some 25 years her senior. They were together for some years before they split when Ms Flaherty reached her early 20s. She went on to marry a local man, with whom she had three children; two girls called Danielle and Emma and a son, Darcy. All are now in their mid 20s. But all the while, say friends, Joseph was an ever-present in her life, in the background and the pair remained close. He was seen very much as a father figure to her son and two daughters growing up, they say. It's why those close to Ms Flaherty told MailOnline that she has been left 'broken' at the suggestion that she 'engineered' his death for financial gain. During an inquest into his death last week, she broke down on several occasions and had to leave the court as lawyers for the Grogan family called into question her credibility – and accusing her of leaving him to die at home by not calling in medics or taking him to hospital. Those close to Ms Flaherty say the uncaring portrayal of her couldn't be further from the truth. Those who know the couple in Screggan, which is made up of a shop, a pub, an off licence, a hair salon and around 100 homes, say behind the salacious headlines lies an unorthodox tale of enduring love and commitment between the two. Joe Keys, who was one of Mr Grogan's best friends said: 'The world can think what it wants but how Lisa has been portrayed is not right. They were both wonderful people who were very well respected in this community. Lisa didn't care for Joe because she wanted his money, that's total rubbish.' A close friend of Ms Flaherty fumed: 'I've known both all my life and I can promise you, they were very much in love. They were committed to each other, nobody cared for Joe like Lisa did, not even his own family. The two of them were inseparable. 'She's the one who was beside him throughout his life and when he needed her most, as he was dying. She did an amazing job, and it wasn't for financial reasons, Lisa is not that sort of person. She's one of the most loving and kind people you could ever meet.' While giving evidence at the inquest, Ms Flaherty indicated that her relationship with Mr Grogan started when she was a teenager. This led to an angry response from Damien Tansey, barrister for three of his first cousins, who claimed that it had caused anxiety to his family as it 'puts Joseph Grogan into the realm of being a paedophile.' But Ms Flaherty's friend explained: 'It does sound a bit strange, but this is rural Ireland, strange things happen. Lisa was very young when she first met Joe, but it wasn't a big deal, she was above the legal age of consent and there was nothing paedophile about his intentions. It was the start of a loving, caring relationship that continued for many years. 'Although they split up when Lisa was in her 20s, Joe remained a big part of her life. He thought of those kids as his own, had Christmas dinner with them every year and at one point, Darcy was even working for him at a quarry he ran on his farm. 'Even though Lisa and Joe went their separate ways, the bond between them was always there and grew stronger. He would always refer to her as 'My Lisa.' They were together even when they weren't together if you know what I mean.' After splitting from her husband, Ms Flaherty raised her children in a modest three-bedroom terraced home located just a five-minute walk from Mr Grogan's detached bungalow, which lies at the entrance to his sprawling farm. She divided her time between the two properties but as his health deteriorated, she virtually lived with Mr Grogan full time and combined caring for him with her work as a special needs assistant in a local school. Ms Flaherty is also a leading figure in women's Gaelic football and has even worked for the sport's governing body to help develop the sport amongst girls. Thomas, who has lived in Screggan for more than 50 years, said: 'Joe was a very big-hearted man, he'd do anything for anyone. Lisa is really involved in local sports and is a pillar of our community. You won't find anyone around here who has a bad word to say about either of them.' But Mr Grogan's family would beg to differ. They insisted during the inquest that he was a confirmed bachelor and that they were excluded from being involved in his life, especially towards his latter days. They were not informed about his marriage and only discovered he had died after being told by a friend. Mr Grogan was an only child who came from a large extended family and had 39 cousins. He inherited his multi-million farm from his father and also received close to £800,000 in compensation after part of it was compulsorily purchased to build a road. A Grogan family source told MailOnline that a family meeting is to be held over the coming weeks where they will consider what further legal steps they can take. The source said: 'Our position is clear. The marriage is a sham and is not valid and we are considering challenging this in the High Court. We also have concerns about the care Joe received or rather didn't receive and this adds to our argument that the police need to investigate. 'We don't want to say too much about Ms Flaherty and what some of the local community think about her because we know what we think. Our lawyers made this clear during the inquest and nothing has changed.' At the inquest, three of Mr Grogan's cousins, Alo, Margaret and Seán were represented by barrister Damien Tansey. His 90-year-old aunt, Teresa Mooney was represented by solicitor Peter Jones. All challenged the validity of the marriage while calling on the coroner to order a police investigation and return a verdict of unlawful killing. But the coroner delivered a 'narrative verdict' which is an account of the circumstances surrounding a death rather than a direct ruling as to its cause. He said that it was probably due to an infection associated with Mr Grogan's cancer, chemotherapy treatment, damage to the immune system, and significant weight loss. He added that there had been 'valid criticism' of his care in the days leading up to his death, but it had to be borne in mind that Mr Grogan did not want to go to hospital. His friends in Screggan also told MailOnline that he had made it clear to them that he wanted to die at home and was not interested in further medical attention. The coroner also said that he could not make any ruling on the validity of the marriage and that the evidence of Mr Grogan's death did not come 'anywhere near' the threshold required for a finding of unlawful killing. Following the inquest, Ms Flaherty has temporarily left Screggan with friends claiming that she needs time to recuperate and 'mend.' But since Mr Grogan's death she has already taken over the management of his farm, which is well known for staging Ireland's National Ploughing Championships. She recently appeared with her three children at a media event to announce this year's competition which will be staged from September 16-18 where she was named as 'Lisa Flaherty Grogan.' As her close friend Margaret maintained: 'She has every right to take Joe's name and his farm. She's the one who did all the hard work and he wanted to make sure she was financially cared for after he died. There's nothing more to this case than that.'
The Sun
16-07-2025
- Health
- The Sun
Millionaire, 75, died a DAY after marrying girlfriend, 50, who inherited his fortune after he was embalmed within hours
A MILLIONAIRE farmer who died just a day after marrying his girlfriend was embalmed with "undue haste" an inquest has heard. Joseph Grogan 75, died a day after marrying his girlfriend Lisa Flaherty, 50, in April 2023. 6 6 6 Flaherty now stands to inherit Joseph's 220 acre farm in Screggan, Tullamore, Co Offaly, which is valued at €5.5 million (£4.77 million). Mr Grogan was diagnosed in early January 2023 with stage 4, high grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. He underwent four rounds of chemotherapy, developing infections after two of them. But, the court heard he had been responding well to treatment. Mr Grogen died at his home at around 3pm on April 15, 2023, a day after marrying Ms Flaherty at a registry office. The coroner said Mr Grogan's death was likely due to a "probability of infection" with his immune system compromised. But he was embalmed within a matter of hours, a time frame Coroner Raymond Mahon said made it difficult to determine a definitive cause of death. During a three-day inquest, Peter Jones, the solicitor representing Mr Grogan's 90-year-old aunt said "an awful lot of unanswered questions" remain. He also pointed to the "undue haste" with which he said Mr Grogan's remains were taken to be embalmed. Barrister Damien Tansey, representing Mr Grogan's cousins, pushed for the Gardai to conduct a forensic investigation before the coroner came to a decision. 6 6 Coroner Mahon, however, dismissed the suggestion. According to Mr Tansey Mr Grogan's death, which he called "sudden and unexpected" had caused a stir in the community. He went on to claim that the concerns raised by residents of the local area and the medical community had not been addressed by the inquest. A pathologist had confirmed that cancer had not been the cause of death, and neither was organ failure. Pathologist Charles d'Adhemar had warned that if the three medications Mr Grogan had been prescribed were not administered correctly, it could depress his respiratory and nervous systems. Mr Tansey claimed that the speedy embalming procedure meant the pathologist could not test for drugs in the deceased's system. Ms Flaherty had repeatedly claimed that her husband had inoperable, stage four cancer and was at the end of life stage - something his family disputed. Mr Tansey said "none of that evidence is true or accurate." Ms Flaherty also claimed to have been in a long term relationship with Mr Grogan, despite having several other partners and three children with other men. She claimed their relationship began when she was just 16, a claim Mr Tansey said caused a great deal of anxiety to the Grogan family. He added that the secrecy of the marriage was concerning. Ms Flaherty's sister is said to have not known about the marriage until the day after it had happened. The coroner said he would not rule on the validity of the marriage between Mr Grogan and Ms Flaherty. And Stephen Byrne, representing Ms Flaherty, said that Mr Tansey had all but accused her of causing Mr Grogan's death. He went on to say that he had been concerned the inquest into Mr Grogan's death would be used to attack the good name of Ms Flaherty. He added that the threshold for further investigation, valid, legitimate suspicions, had not been met. Friends or family of Mr Grogan could have gone over Ms Flaherty's head and called a doctor but did not, he said. Mr Byrne continued, saying that the person who stepped up and cared for Mr Grogan - Ms Flaherty - had been "dragged over the coals." Mr Byrne said: "He knew his own body, and he knew he was not going to beat this [cancer]." 6 On the day of Mr Grogan's death Ms Flaherty's sister and neighbour, a psychiatric nurse with a qualification in palliative care, had been called and told Mr Grogan's condition was deteriorating. After arriving at his house she was told by Ms Flaherty that she had called an ambulance at around 10:30 am. She said she was told the paramedic advised that palliative care in would not be available until Monday, and that Mr Grogan had said he wanted to stay at home. Mr Tansey would go on to question a number of other people at the inquest including Mr Martin Keyes – a lorry driver, part-time undertaker and family friend. Mr Tansey asked: "Why did you remove the body with such indecent haste to be embalmed?" And Mr Keyes replied: "There was no haste. It was about 7.30pm by the time I took Joe Grogan to Longford. He died at 3pm I think." Further questions were then raised about why Mr Grogan's body had been released without a doctors permission, which Ms Flaherty had told Mr Keyes she had received. Mr Keyes agreed that he had never seen a death certificate for Mr Grogan and knew now that the doctor on call could not have given his consent for the body to be removed, as he was not Mr Grogan's treating GP. The inquest ultimately ruled that Mr Grogan died of natural causes linked to cancer and his treatment. The coroner said Mr Grogan's death was likely due to a "probability of infection" with his immune system compromised. He added that there were "valid concerns" about Mr Grogan's care but said it must be remembered that the deceased was very reluctant to see a doctor. The three-day-long inquest at a court in Tullamore came to a close today, July 16, with Ms Flaherty fleeing from the court in tears.
Daily Mail
16-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Millionaire farmer, 75, died a DAY after secretly marrying his carer, 50, and was embalmed with 'undue haste', court hears - as his family rubbish wife's claim she'd dated him since she was 16 and beg police to investigate
A widow fled court in tears during a dramatic inquest where she was all but accused of causing the death of her much older husband - who she'd married just a day before his death and buried with 'undue haste'. Lawyers for Lisa Flaherty, 50, said she had been 'hauled over the coals' during the three-day inquest as the family of Joseph Grogan, who was 75 at the time of his death, vowed to challenge their short-lived marriage. The barrister representing three of Mr Grogan's cousins, Damien Tansey cast doubt over Ms Flaherty's claims her late husband was suffering from inoperable, stage 4 cancer, as he dramatically declared: 'None of that evidence is true or accurate.' He also told the court that Ms Flaherty's claim their relationship began when she was 16 and put the deceased in the 'realm of being a paedophile' and had caused great upset to his family. The three-day proceedings at a court in Tullamore drew to a close on July 16 as coroner Raymond Mahon recorded a narrative verdict in the case of Mr Grogan, who was suffering from cancer and died just a day after getting 'secretly' married to his carer Ms Flaherty. Mr Mahon dismissed suggestions by barristers for Joseph Grogan's family that the gardaí should conduct a thorough, forensic investigation before he reached his decision. The court heard Mr Grogan, 75, was being treated for cancer but had been responding well to treatment. He died at his home at around 3pm on April 15, 2023, the day after attending a registry office to marry Ms Flaherty, 50. Within hours, his body was embalmed, making it virtually impossible to determine a definite cause of death, Mr Mahon noted. Mr Grogan was a well-known figure in the farming community, and hosted the National Ploughing Championships between 2016 and 2018. His estate, which school SNA Ms Flaherty now stands to inherit, is valued at €5.5million. Mr Mahon said Mr Grogan was diagnosed in early January 2023 with stage 4, aggressive , high grade non- Hodgkin's lymphoma. He said he had suffered infections after two of his four rounds of chemotherapy, and that Mr Grogan was said by his oncologist to be vulnerable due to the chemo and his significant weight loss. He said Mr Grogan's death was due to a 'probability of infection', his immune system having been compromised. Mr Mahon said there were 'valid concerns' about Mr Grogan's care, but said it must be borne in mind that Mr Grogan was very reluctant to see a doctor. He said it had been a very difficult and distressing case, and commiserated with both the Grogan and Flaherty families. Mr Mahon had ruled on day one of the three-day inquest that he would not make any decision about the validity of the marriage. Earlier, Damien Tansey, barrister for three first cousins of Mr Grogan, Alo, Margaret and Seán, called for the case to be referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions, for a forensic examination by the gardaí. He told the coroner that it was open to him to record a verdict of unlawful killing, which he said could arise from omission or commission. In his closing submission, Mr Tansey said it was clear that Mr Grogan was very ill between April 5, when he finished his fourth round of chemotherapy, and April 15, when he died. He said that without medical intervention during that period, the consequences could be 'dreadful'. 'Was he properly treated during that ten-day period?' he asked. '…The only intervention during that ten-day period was to hurriedly and secretly arrange a marriage by which she [Ms Flaherty] stood to gain an estate valued at €5.5million.' Mr Grogan's 'sudden and unexpected' death had caused disquiet in the local area and in the medical community, he said. He suggested that those concerns had not been assuaged during the three-day inquest. Mr Grogan's oncologist had testified that Mr Grogan's cancer was responding well to treatment, and the pathologist had confirmed that cancer had not been the cause of death, and neither was organ failure. Mr Tansey said the swift embalming procedure meant that the pathologist could not test for drugs in Mr Grogan's system. However, pathologist Charles d'Adhemar had warned that if the three medications Mr Grogan had been prescribed were not administered correctly, it could depress his respiratory and nervous systems. The 'star witness' in the case, Lisa Flaherty, had repeatedly spread a narrative that Mr Grogan had an inoperable, stage 4 cancer and was at the end-of-life stage, awaiting palliative care, Mr Tansey said. 'None of that evidence is true or accurate,' he said. He also noted that she had told the inquest she had been in a long-term relationship with her neighbour Mr Grogan, when she had other partners, and three children who were not Mr Grogan's. Her suggestion that their relationship began when she was 16, which 'puts Joseph Grogan into the realm of being a paedophile' had caused great anxiety to the Grogan family, he said. He continued: 'The troubling issue in this case is the secrecy of the marriage… her own sister did not know about it until the following day. Her best friend did not know until the following day. And she put a notice on the door of the house saying 'No visitors'. What was that about?' He said that less than 24 hours after the 'secret marriage' there was the 'unlawful removal of the remains from the house'. Peter Jones, a solicitor representing Teresa Mooney, Mr Grogan's 90-year-old aunt, called for an open verdict, and for the gardaí to investigate. He said the inquest had left 'an awful lot of unanswered questions'. He also pointed to the 'undue haste' with which he said Mr Grogan's remains were taken to be embalmed, and to the contradictory evidence given by Ms Flaherty about Mr Grogan being at the end of his life, and awaiting palliative care. The Grogan family had been excluded during the 'reign of secrecy' of Ms Flaherty, he said. They had to learn of Mr Grogan's death from a friend, which he said showed 'cruelty'. 'My client is concerned for justice for Joseph Grogan,' he said. 'Despite the best efforts of this inquest, we are no closer to knowing the way or circumstances of this death.' He said there was a need to 'satisfy public disquiet', adding that most people on the street would be concerned to hear that a man had died the day after getting married, 'and was embalmed by teatime'. Stephen Byrne, for Ms Flaherty, said Mr Tansey had all but accused his client 'of causing the death of the late Mr Grogan'. He said he had been concerned that the inquest would be used 'to attack the good name and reputation of Ms Flaherty', and that this had proved to be the case. He said an inquest could only be adjourned for further investigations to be carried out on the basis of valid, legitimate suspicions, and said that threshold had not been reached. Other friends and family of Mr Grogan could have gone over the head of his carer, Ms Flaherty, and called a doctor themselves if they were concerned – but they did not, he said. Instead, he said, the person who cared for him and 'stepped up to the plate' had been 'hauled over the coals'. 'It is easy for people who did not step up to the plate to instruct their lawyers to come in and criticise someone who did step up and take responsibility,' Mr Byrne said. Mr Grogan himself was reluctant to seek help or see a doctor, he said, and that was his own decision. 'He knew his own body, and he knew he was not going to beat this [cancer],' he said. Niamh Higgins, Ms Flaherty's sister and neighbour, told the court that she was a psychiatric nurse with an additional qualification in palliative care. She said her mother had called her early on the day of Mr Grogan's death, telling her that his condition was deteriorating, and that she had gone up to the house. Mr Grogan was in bed, and appeared to be comfortable and not experiencing any pain or distress, she said. Ms Flaherty told her that she had called an ambulance at around 10.30am, as Mr Grogan's condition had rapidly deteriorated. She said she was told the paramedic had advised that palliative care in hospital would not be available until the Monday, and that Mr Grogan had said he wanted to stay at home. She said she advised her sister that the MIDOC doctor-on-call service should be called, and that Ms Flaherty agreed, but asked her to make the call, which she did at around midday. By this time, she said, Mr Grogan's pulse was irregular and weak, his breathing was shallow and he was less responsive. At 3.48pm, she said, she could no longer detect a pulse. Ms Higgins told the inquest that she learned of her sister's marriage after Mr Grogan's death. Mary Coyne, a friend of Ms Flaherty and Mr Grogan, said he had told her of his marriage on the morning of his death. She said that he had said, in a low voice, 'I have news, we got married.' Seán Grogan, a cousin of Joseph Grogan, from Naas, Co. Kildare, said that when he saw Joseph shortly before he died, his cousin had one eye closed, and one eye only half open. His head was leaning to one side, and he was limp, he said. He said that Mr Grogan had been a confirmed bachelor, who had previously had a 23 or 24-year relationship with a local woman, but had never expressed an intention to get married. Pádraig Grogan, another cousin who ran a neighbouring farm and saw Joseph Grogan regularly, said he had been on holiday in the US when Mr Grogan died. He said his wife had sent text messages to Ms Flaherty to stay in touch, but there had been no response on August 14 or 15. They learned of Mr Grogan's death on he said. He had understood that his cousin had inoperable cancer and that there was no hope in his final months, he said. 'I would have loved to have known then that his results were so good from the oncologist, and to make sure that he knew it,' he told the inquest. 'Joe wanted to live.' Speaking following the verdict, Mr Tansey said that the focus of the Grogan family would now be on the validity of the marriage – which may involve a High Court challenge. Martin Keyes – a lorry driver, part-time undertaker and family friend – told the inquest he had taken the body to be embalmed just over four hours after Mr Grogan's death. He said he had been told by Mr Grogan's wife, Ms Flaherty that a doctor had released the body for the funeral. He agreed he had not seen a death certificate for Mr Grogan, who he had known since he was a child. He said he knew now, having attended the inquest earlier this month, that the doctor on call could not have given his consent for the body to be removed, as he was not Mr Grogan's treating GP. He also agreed that he had not reported the death to the gardaí or the coroner on the day it happened, as was his legal responsibility. He said he was not a member of the Irish Association of Funeral Directors, the rules of which state an undertaker requires medical confirmation of death. He said he was not regulated by any organisation. 'Why did you remove the body with such indecent haste to be embalmed?' Mr Tansey asked him. He replied: 'There was no haste. It was about 7.30pm by the time I took Joe Grogan to Longford. He died at 3pm I think.' Mr Tansey put it to Mr Keyes that Mr Grogan's death was 'sudden and unexpected' and the coroner had been sufficiently concerned to instruct the gardaí to go to Mr Grogan's house and escort the body to the Tullamore mortuary for a post-mortem examination. Asked why he had gone to Longford, when the court had heard there were other, closer embalming services, Mr Keyes replied: 'That's who we use.' He said the undertakers had not asked him for any paperwork. Mr Tansey asked: 'You know that embalming destroys tissues and so on in the body, such that it renders the post-mortem almost non-effective?' Mr Keyes replied that he did not know much about embalming before the inquest. He agreed that he now knew that the pathologist had been inhibited from finding the cause of Mr Grogan's death, and from determining if any drugs had caused his death. However, he said that what he had done was 'normal standard practice'. Mr Keyes said he had attended about 100 funerals in the 15 years he had worked as an undertaker, but just two in 2023 before Mr Grogan's death, on Saturday, April 14. Mr Keyes said Mr Grogan's funeral had originally been arranged for the Monday, April 16, but that the date was put back following the coroner's intervention. He said he had been asked to be the undertaker for Mr Grogan by his father, who was a close friend of the deceased He said he had known Mr Grogan himself since he was a child
BreakingNews.ie
16-07-2025
- BreakingNews.ie
Coroner rejects calls to refer details to gardaí after Offaly farmer (75) dies day after wedding
A coroner has rejected calls to refer the circumstances of the death of an Offaly farmer (75) on the day after he got married to gardaí for a detailed forensic investigation. 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 15th, 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. Advertisement 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. Advertisement 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.' Advertisement 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. Advertisement Widow of Joe Grogan, Lisa Flaherty, pictured leaving the Tullamore Coroner's Court. Photo: 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. Advertisement 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. He also observed she had not called any doctor to see Mr Grogan for the 10 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. 'Reign of secrecy' 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". Sean Grogan, right and Padraig Grogan cousins of the late Joe Grogan speaking to the media pictured leaving theTullamore Coroner's Court. Photo: Colin Keegan/Collins Dublin 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".
