The High Court has directed the South Mayo coroner to reconsider his decision not to include a Health and Safety Authority report on road conditions among the evidence at the inquest into a young woman’s death in a road incident.
The HSA report concluded the cause of the incident that claimed the life of Aisling Gallagher (22) from Achill was due to the surface of the road. Mayo County Council has disputed this and denies any liability.
Yesterday, Mr Justice Liam McKechnie overturned the decision by South Mayo coroner John TD O’Dwyer of April 2008 to exclude the HSA report from the inquest into Ms Gallagher’s death, after he found this was “legally incorrect”.
The judge was ruling on a challenge by Kathleen Gallagher, of Askill, Bunacurry, Achill, mother of the deceased woman, to the coroner’s decision.