The mother of a 20-year-old smoker who fell to his death from the second-floor fire escape of a lap-dancing club that was being used as a smoking area has said the operators of such premises should be more responsible.
Rita Mulvenna was speaking at the inquest into the death of her son, Eamonn Mulvenna, of Muirhevnamore, Dundalk yesterday.
The inquest heard that as a result of the smoking ban Whispers lap-dancing club had allowed customers to go out a fire exit on to the fire escape that was 27 feet above an alleyway.
The incident occurred at about 2.40am on October 22nd, 2005. The last words Mr Mulvenna spoke were to a fellow smoker at about 2.40am to whom he was describing the night skyline of Dundalk when he slipped over.
His mother, who wept as details of the injuries he suffered were given, said: "I wouldn't let a dog go to that place [ fire escape], never mind a person. I just hope people who run these places around the country are more responsible [ now]."
She also said her son had been afraid of heights and if he hadn't drink taken he would not have gone out there to smoke.
"These places should not be allowed to be used as smoking areas," she added.
The club now sends customers down on to the street to smoke.
The Louth county coroner, Ronan Maguire, returned a verdict of misadventure and used the provisions of the Coroner's Act to make a general recommendation that any smoking area from which people can fall should have railings up to head height.
There were railings on both sides of the gangway or balcony that served as the fire escape but they were waist high, he was told.
The last man the deceased spoke to was Ryan O'Neill who was in the club with a stag party. Both were outside smoking. He said Mr Mulvenna had pushed himself up on to the railings and was describing Dundalk to him when he fell.
"I saw a man sitting on the railings facing the club with his back to the alleyway. He started describing the view to me and said, 'look at that town, it's a great view'. He was waving his left hand to show me the view. Next thing he slipped back from the railings. It happened very quickly. I couldn't believe what I had just seen," he said.
The postmortem also revealed Mr Mulvenna had a blood alcohol level of 315mgs or about four times the legal drink-driving limit. He had been out with friends for the night.
The coroner found he had died in the Louth county hospital from head injuries due to the fall and returned a verdict of misadventure.
The inquest also heard that no criminal prosecutions were pending and that the Health and Safety Authority had "no function" in relation to the accident.