A CORONER'S jury last night recorded a verdict of death by misadventure in the case of a parish priest who drank a bottle of whiskey and smoked 30 cigarettes each day.
Father Michael Toal (66), of Readypenny, Dundalk, Co Louth, died at St James's Hospital in Dublin from adult respiratory distress syndrome, caused by aspiration pneumonia, the seven jurors at Dublin Coroner's Court unanimously %greed.
Dr W. S. Jagoe, a consultant at St James's Hospital, had previously told the inquest that he believed Father Toal had died from adult respiratory distress syndrome. Although an idiosyncratic reaction to drugs could have been the cause, it was "much more likely" that Father Toal had suffered aspiration pneumonia.
The inquest heard evidence yesterday from Father Toal's sister and former nurse, Mrs Mary Ryan, who had expressed her concern on a number of occasions to medical staff at St Patrick's Hospital about the levels of Librium being given to her brother.
She suggested that this had caused Father Toal to be over-sedated by his intake of Librium and that this may have led to his later pneumonia.
The inquest before Dr Brian Farrell heard that Father Toal had previously been admitted to St Patrick's Hospital on January 13th, 1995, and had undergone a three-week detoxification programme. When he left on February 14th he immediately recommenced drinking heavily. On his admission to St Patrick's on February 5th, 1996, he admitted to being intoxicated.
He was later transferred to St James's Hospital where he was moved to the Intensive Care Unit. He died there on February 27th, 1996. An autopsy was not carried out due to objections from Father Toal's family.
Giving evidence, Mrs Ryan said that her brother was given 400 mg of Librium a day after his admission to St Patrick's Hospital, although this was later reduced to 80 mg four times daily. She had questioned medical staff as to whether this was an excessive amount, as he was very thin.
When she visited him the following day, he was very sedated and his speech was slurred. Mrs Ryan stressed to nursing staff the importance of Father Toal taking fluids as he was being given Librium.
Two days later, on February 9th, Mrs Ryan and her brother John, visited Father Toal and found him lying flat on the bed. Mrs Ryan said he was comatose, and that she had tried in vain to rouse him.