A PARISH priest who drank a bottle of whiskey a day and smoked heavily was admitted to hospital in an agitated condition and died within days, an inquest heard yesterday.
Father Michael Toal (66), of Redpenny, Dundalk, Co Louth, was admitted to St Patrick's Hospital in Dublin for alcoholism withdrawal on February 5th last year, but died after being transferred to St James's Hospital five days later.
In the Dublin Coroner's Court yesterday Mr Michael Byrne BL, for the priest's sister, Mrs Mary Ryan, a nurse, asked if Father Toal was over-sedated by his intake of 100mg of Librium for four days in St Patrick's and if this was a cause of his later pneumonia.
Earlier Dr Matthew Murphy, a consultant psychiatrist at St Patrick's Hospital, asked for an adjournment, saying he required legal representation. The Medical Defence Union had been contacted twice and he had expected a lawyer to turn up.
Dr Brian Farrell, the Dublin City Coroner, said he must adjourn the hearing for six weeks. Without Dr Murphy having representation to which he was entitled in natural justice, any verdict could be "quashable".
Dr Murphy said Father Toal had been in St Patrick's from January 11th to February 14th, 1995 and had undergone detoxification from alcohol, which was complicated by a respiratory infection and "some confusion".
Dr Murphy said: "On admission on this occasion (1996), Father Toal said he had been drinking a bottle of whiskey a day since January 1st and that he had been abstinent from alcohol for 10 months after his previous discharge. But I understand a collateral history suggests that Father Toal recommenced drinking almost immediately after leaving the hospital on February 14th, 1995."
The psychiatrist said the priest admitted to morning drinking, withdrawal symptoms and drink-driving. On February 5th last he admitted to being intoxicated, had a flushed, dishevelled appearance and was unsteady due to alcohol.
On February 6th Father Toal was tremulous and unsteady and on February 9th appeared somewhat over-sedated. He also developed a cough. His Librium dosage in the hospital was 100mg. On February 10th he was seen by Dr Declan Lyons and was drowsy.
Dr Murphy said Father Toal smoked 30 cigarettes a day and was transferred to St James's Hospital for a chest X-ray and further intravenous therapy. He had a chest infection and pre-delirium, if not actual delirium tremens.
Dr W.S. Jagoe, a consultant at St James's Hospital, said he initially thought Father Toal was suffering from bilateral pneumonia. His condition deteriorated, his respiratory problem became worse and he was confused and drowsy. He attributed his death to adult respiratory distress syndrome, possibly due to either aspiration pneumonia or to idiosyncratic reaction to drugs.