A RETIRING coroner has questioned whether media outlets should publicise suicide cases because of the “real risk of copycat suicides” and the pain it causes families.
The Dublin county coroner Dr Kieran Geraghty, who retires today following 12 years of service in one of the busiest coroner districts in the State, said he had seen evidence of copycat suicides where it makes you “wonder should things ever be publicised because they may put the idea in somebody’s head”.
“There is a real risk of people copying others,” said Dr Geraghty who suggested the press should “perhaps restrict themselves.”
Reflecting on his time as coroner, Dr Geraghty said it was “very interesting” and that the population in his district had increased steadily over his 12 years as coroner, with an ever-increasing number of deaths reported to his office.
Addressing the issue of suicide, the coroner said his own figures on suicide did not suggest a dramatic increase in suicides among Irish people, but that there had been a notable increase in the number of deaths by suicide of foreign nationals reported in his district during his time as coroner, which could affect the national figures.
“It has been a noticeable fact that there has been a steady increase in suicides among foreign nationals in my area over the last 12 years, more so in the last eight to 10 years,” said Dr Geraghty, who added that he was speaking particularly about economic immigrants from eastern Europe and the Baltic countries, who came here during the boom.
“I’ve seen a lot of suicides of foreign nationals and there’s a fair bit of tragedy there. There are very sad cases. It reminded me of the situation Irish people found themselves in years ago when they had to emigrate and take menial jobs and live in poor circumstances and who turned to drink in the pubs for comfort,” said Dr Geraghty.
“People don’t understand how trivial things can play on people’s minds, particularly when they are in a foreign country and they don’t have the support of family and friends. These things can become bigger than they would otherwise . . . part of it is isolation from family,” he said.
It was shocking how many foreign nationals had died from large amounts of alcohol, including crashing cars after drinking or taking their own lives after drinking, he added.
He said suicide figures show very little variation over the last 10 years. “Male suicides have dropped a bit and female suicides have gone up a bit,” said Dr Geraghty, who added that female suicides had become more violent.
Dr Geraghty, who is originally from Gorey, Co Wexford, and who has held the position of coroner for the county of Dublin since 1999, when he took over from Dr Bartley Sheehan, holds the distinction of being the last ever Dublin county coroner.
From this evening the separate coroner districts of Dublin city and county are to be amalgamated into one district, called the coroner’s district of Dublin. All cases in Dublin city and in the county council areas of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, Fingal and South Dublin will be dealt with by the coroner for the coroner’s district of Dublin, Dr Brian Farrell.
Dr Geraghty said he “absolutely” enjoyed his work and that being “perfectly fit and healthy” he would have been happy to continue working, but that he had to retire on reaching the age of 70.
Dr Geraghty is also retiring as a GP. He paid tribute to his staff Ciara Doyle, Eileen Tobin and Anna Davenport, without whom he said he would not have managed over the last 12 years.