Clannad star Noel choked to death on garlic bread
Musician, 73, had been out in pub
A MEMBER of trad supergroup Clannad died after he choked on a piece of garlic bread while he was out socialising with friends, his inquest has heard.
Noel Duggan, 73, took ill while dining with pals at Casadh an tsugain, in Loughanure, West Donegal, on the evening of October 15, 2022.
Evidence of his final moments was given before Donegal County Coroner, Dr Denis Mccauley, at Letterkenny Courthouse yesterday.
The musician, an uncle of pop star Enya, had been drinking at the pub since about 2pm that day.
John Sweeney told how he had met the performer earlier and they had decided to have food around 6pm after being joined by two other friends.
Mr Duggan ordered a starter but soon after he began to eat it, he began to gasp for air and suddenly slumped forward in his chair.
The manager was called and he tried to perform the Heimlich manoeuvre on the star who lived nearby at Teach Neili
Beag, but this did not work. Mr Sweeney then told the court how waitress Brid Sweeney began to perform CPR as she was given directions over the phone by the emergency services.
A defibrillator was then sent for but it was too late.
Mr Sweeney told how paramedics arrived and tried to revive Mr Duggan and removed what appeared to be a large piece of garlic bread from his throat using an instrument.
A statement read out on behalf of Assistant Chief Ambulance Officer Brian Ferry stated that he was off-duty but was called to the scene and found Ms Sweeney performing CPR.
Paramedics continued to work on him and cardiac drugs were administered while no shock was advised from a defibrillator at the scene.
The dead man’s brother, Columba Duggan, told how he had been called to the pub and identified the victim as being Noel at 8.42pm. Garda Dermot
Gallen of Dungloe Garda Station said he received a report of a choking incident at a public house at 7.10pm.
He said he went to the scene and spoke to Mr Ferry who said their efforts to revive Mr Duggan had been unsuccessful.
Garda Gallen said he had obtained CCTV footage and when asked by coroner Dr Mccauley if this was simply an unfortunate choking and that there was nothing else to it, he agreed.
The Garda added the body was removed at
9.10pm and it was taken to the mortuary at
Letterkenny University
Hospital.
Pathologist Dr Gerry
O’dowd said an autopsy showed he had multiple small haemorrhages on both lungs, consistent with death from asphyxiation.
The autopsy showed he had only one kidney while he was also suffering from coronary artery disease and was being treated for high blood pressure.
Tests also showed Mr Duggan had an alcohol reading of 249 milligrammes of alcohol which Dr Mccauley noted was five times the drink-driving level.
He asked Dr O’dowd if that could make one more likely to choke and was told it could hamper swallowing and the ability to protect airways not functioning as well as someone without alcohol. Dr Mccauley said: “This was an accident but that level of alcohol made it more likely to happen.”
He found the cause of death was asphyxiation secondary to a blockage of the airways by food in association with a high blood alcohol level. He gave a finding of death by
misadventure.