Investigative efforts have been unable to determine the cause of a fire that resulted in the death of a 61-year-old woman from Goatstown, South Dublin, almost two years ago, according to evidence heard during an inquest at the Dublin District Coroner’s Court. Linda Connor died due to injuries incurred during an early morning fire in her one-story flat on November 3rd, 2022. No solid evidence was found to pinpoint the exact cause of the blaze, despite investigative probes which indicated no suspicion of any malicious activities.
As heard in the court, Ms Connor could have potentially sparked the fire via a carelessly discarded cigarette or through a possible electrical issue, but the Garda investigations could not establish concrete proof in this regard.
The victim’s sister, Maureen Dent, painted a picture of her late sister’s life to coroner Dr Cróna Gallagher, detailing how she lived alone and was eager to embark on an upcoming trip to Mauritius. On the tragic day she passed away, she was due to travel to Dublin Airport to embark on her holiday.
Ms Dent stated that, though her sister had a history of smoking, she maintained precautionary measures and did not believe Linda to leave burning cigarettes unattended. Adding to this, Ms Dent brought up her sister’s alcohol dependency and the consequent health issues that resulted in a poor quality of life. However, the court was told that Linda was sober at the time of the fire.
Linda’s neighbour, Tom McDevitt, alerted the emergency services around 2am when he observed smoke pouring out from her apartment’s bathroom vent. The deceased was later discovered by Dublin Fire Brigade personnel in an unconscious state in her living area.
Senior firefighter, Jim Doyle, who attended the incident, disclosed that Linda was found at an angled position on a sofa or futon. The court couldn’t determine whether Linda spent the entire evening in the living area or had travelled between her bedroom and living area.
The court was told that Ms Connor was evacuated from her flat, with medical professionals initiating attempts to revive her. A defibrillator was successfully used to restart her natural pulse, following which she was rushed to the emergency ward of St Vincent’s hospital.
Afterwards, CAT scans revealed Ms Connor had endured irreversible brain injury from carbon monoxide inhalation. Her demise was confirmed in the hospital’s critical care wing (ICU), close to 5pm.
Investigations spearheaded by Shankill Garda station’s personnel concluded that the blaze originated from Ms Connor’s sleeping area. This area of her living quarters was notably damaged by fire, and traces of significant smoke damage were found throughout the dwelling.
During proceedings, it became known that the gardai had not gathered statements from two individuals scheduled to accompany Ms Connor on a journey to Mauritius. Garda eyewitness Mark Lynam revealed after inquiries that one of these two individuals visited Ms Connor the day preceding her death and had arranged to pick her up for their early hour trip to Dublin Airport.
One of Ms Connor’s friends called her about 1am on the day of the fire to confirm the travel plans, Gda Lynam reported. However, there was no answer. The friend was later notified by the gardai about the blaze in Ms Connor’s apartment.
Ms Connor’s sibling, Ms Dent, commented that the additional details did not resolve existing uncertainties regarding Ms Connor’s passing. “There is information available, but I don’t believe I’ll ever receive it,” she remarked.
Dr Gallagher recorded an open verdict on the cause of Ms Connor’s death. The official medical reason was noted as a hypoxic ischemic brain injury, secondary to asphyxia related to carbon monoxide, due to the residential fire.
The coroner acknowledged the gaps in facts related to Ms Connor’s death, including the fire’s origin. She admitted, “There is a lot about her movements that remains unclear.”
Concluding, the coroner offered the court’s condolences to Ms Connor’s family and close ones.