Retiring coroner is happy to see progress on key issues
Swinford solicitor Pat O'Connor has retired after 45 years in the Coroner's Court.
Mayo coroner Pat O’Connor has retired after 38 years in the role.
The Swinford native presided over his final Coroner’s Court in his hometown yesterday (Monday).
The solicitor has been involved in the coronial process in Ireland and Co Mayo for 45 years since 1977.
“For the first eight years, I was deputy coroner to my late father Val O’Connor, who was the coroner for Mayo East. From 1989 onwards, I have been a coroner and since 2016 I have been the coroner for the District of Mayo,” Mr O’Connor told the .
“I’m not really looking forward to retirement because it’s not in my nature! I will continue to work in my legal practice,” he added.
Mr O’Connor has never been shy of making strong recommendations in the Coroner’s Court when required. His pleas for action to be taken to halt the high number of road deaths on the N5 and N17 in Mayo now appear to be heeded.
“I think the Coroner’s Court can in appropriate cases make recommendations that if they are followed by the authorities can make a difference. What a coroner can do at an inquest is highlight the circumstances that led to or contributed to the unfortunate fatality.
“In making those recommendations, it is important that they are followed by the authorities. In the case of the roads in Mayo, that is of course Transport Infrastructure Ireland, Mayo County Council and An Garda Síochána. And I have to say in fairness to them they have done some good work following recommendations made at inquests over the past two decades and particularly in the last five years. It is good to see more changes that will hopefully make people more aware of the dangers that exist on those roads, the N5 and the N17 particularly.
“There is a need for education of motorists at all levels. There is a responsibility on the drivers but also the authorities to make people aware constantly of the dangers that do exist,” said Mr O’Connor.
He said at the core of his approach as a coroner was prioritising the needs and feelings of the families that are left behind.
“All the cases that I deal with are difficult and traumatic for the families and I’m always conscious that there is a grieving family at every inquest I deal with. I’m human as well and do feel empathy for those families in the community who I know, and I do get upset at the deaths that occur.
“In all cases I do feel a great empathy for the families of the deceased where there are sudden deaths whether they are as a result of road traffic accidents, accident on farmlands and certainly in the cases of people who die by suicide, the families always have great grief and questions which are not always possible to get answers to,” said Mr O’Connor.
