A LEADING property developer visited a psychiatrist the day before he died, an inquest heard yesterday.
John O’Dolan (51), was said to be ‘‘stressed and depressed’’ in the days leading up to his death in Galway in February.
His body was found in a shed on lands he owned at Rusheen, Barna Road, Galway. Consultant pathologist, Dr Mary Casey told the inquest that the cause of death was asphyxia due to hanging.
The 51 year old, who lived nearby at Gentian Hill, had developed a wide-ranging property portfolio at home and abroad but his business had suffered in the economic downturn.
He grew to prominence in the early 1980s when he set up the successful auctioneering firm Mullery, O’Dolan Doyle in Galway with two partners.
In recent years he established O’Dolan International. Along with a number of other developers in 2007 he bought the Island of Ireland, part of the World development off the coast of Dubai. They paid €28 million for the man-made island. The following year he bought the Island of England in the development for €23.5 million.
At the inquest his nephew Dara Sharkey, who was also a business partner, said he had passed by Rusheen on his way to a meeting on the morning of February 27th. He passed his uncle’s Range Rover Sport but did not see him.
While at a meeting he received a number of phone calls from family members saying that they could not locate Mr O’Dolan.
For three or four days previously, Mr O’Dolan had been ‘‘fairly down’’, Mr Sharkey said. He met his father and brother and they began to search for John. They visited Silver Strand and then returned to Rusheen.
He entered a disused horse shed and saw Mr O’Dolan’s body. His father felt for a pulse but there was none.
Garda Shane Prendergast told the inquest that John O’Dolan had been reported missing to the Garda at Salthill and that there was major concern for his safety.
Garda Prendergast said he had been made aware that he was recently ‘‘stressed and depressed’’ and that the previous day he had seen a psychiatrist.
Dr Ciaran McLoughlin, the west Galway coroner, expressed his deep sympathy to Mr O’Dolan’s widow, Eileen, and their three children on his untimely and sudden death.
Insp Sean Glynn expressed the condolences of the Garda to the O’Dolan family.