The father of a 20-year-old Clonee man who took his own life has told an inquest that the level of support he and his family had received after the death was “atrocious”. Máirtín Thornton was speaking at the inquest conducted by coroner for Co Meath Nathaniel Lacy into the death of his son Cillian of Mayne, Clonee who died on 2nd April last year.
A statement by Garda Pauric Byrne was read to the inquest by Garda Inspector Alan Roughneen. It stated that on 2nd April last year at approximately 8.04 hours he responded to a call regarding a sudden death at Mayne, Clonee. He met a male who he now knew to be Máirtín Thornton who told him he had found his son deceased. He said he had last seen his son at 22.45 hours on 1 st April 2025 after he had left his home in a distressed state. Mr Thornton identified his son to him. Ambulance and fire service arrived at the scene. Fire personnel led by commander of Dunshaughlin fire brigade Fionnan Blake assisted in removing Mr Thornton’s body.
Professor Muna Sabah who carried out a post mortem on the deceased told the inquest that Mr Thornton had died approximately four to six hours before he was found. Toxicology tests found that deceased had no alcohol or drugs in his system. She said that death would have been instantaneous. The coroner recorded a verdict of suicide. He said that as the father of children himself he could not begin to imagine what the family had suffered since Cillian had died and he extended his deepest condolences to them. Inspector Roughneen also expressed his condolences to the family.
As the inquest was ending Mr Thornton, who was accompanied at the inquest by his wife Cathriona, said “The level of support post-suicide from the Garda Siochana, public health nurses or anything like that was atrocious. He had an extended family of 19 younger cousins and nothing, no one called to our door. No one offered support, nothing until the guard came to inform us about the inquest. At 18 we brought Cillian to the Garda station, he thought he was a grand lad. On that night in question he went to a bridge and contemplated jumping off.
If he opened this door (at the inquest hearing) you’d think he was a grand lad, as did most people and he went out there and the Garda said ‘he might join our cycling club during the week’. Before we got into the car he was up in the sky. We brought him to the A&E department on the same night. We waited for a number of hours and we were sent home. All we wanted was our lad to be admitted”.
The coroner said that his function as coroner precluded attributing blame or hear evidence of that sort. “Unfortunately, with mental health it is not the first time I have heard this. It is part of my job to make enquiries as to how he had died”. He said there were other avenues available where Mr Thornton could make enquiries or complaints as to how the family was dealt with and, more importantly, how he was dealt with prior to his death.
