Six coroners working on a part-time basis each earned more than €100,000 in State retainers and fees last year, new figures show.

An inquest has heard a popular young woman died after taking PMA, the ecstasy-like drug nick-named ‘Dr Death,’ or super-ecstasy.

An inquest has heard that it took 17 minutes for an ambulance to arrive at the scene of an accident even though the deceased, a 75-year-old pedestrian, had been knocked down 200m from an ambulance station.

AN open verdict was recorded yesterday by a coroner into the death of a 61-year-old woman who developed septicaemia after having a gastric band operation in Britain.

A CORONER has warned that using a standard scissors-style car jack on its own to hold up a car is not safe after hearing that a man died when a car he was working underneath fell on top of him.

THE efforts to revive a toddler who died after falling into a water tank were recalled at an inquest the coroner called “one of the most tragic accidents I have ever come across”.

THE parents of a baby, whose death at 10 days of age had initially been treated as murder, are to be advised a coroner was anxious to open inquest proceedings.

ONE of the highest alcohol readings ever recorded in the history of the state was detected in the bloodstream of a man found dead in a public toilet in Drogheda, an inquest heard yesterday.

AN inquest into the death of a worker in a food processing plant has heard he died after he was crushed between two steel bars of a lettuce drying machine while trying to brush underneath it.

THE parents of three brothers who lost their lives in a house fire had to leave an inquest because the evidence was so upsetting.

The father of murdered truck driver Paul Quinn today insisted he was more hopeful than ever the killers will be caught as the inquest into his son’s death opened.

A WOMAN suffered septic shock and died nine days after being admitted to a hospital where surgery to rejoin her bowel was unsuccessful, an inquest heard yesterday.

GARDAÍ have ruled out foul play after a pensioner and his daughter died in a house fire in the early hours of yesterday morning.

A Louth-based study has shown that almost half of the people killed through suicide or road deaths in the county in the last six years had consumed alcohol.

A STUDY by Louth county coroner has found that nearly half of all road deaths or those who committed suicide in the county over the last six years had consumed alcohol.

Gerry Adams is to be challenged in a new move to force the IRA to clear the name of Jean McConville, it emerged tonight.

The children of IRA “Disappeared” victim Jean McConville have lived through more than 31 years years of hell since their mother was murdered, an inquest was told today.

The inquest into the death of IRA “disappeared” victim Jean McConville is to be held today more than 31 years after she was abducted.

Forensic evidence found during the examination of the body of IRA “Disappeared” victim Jean McConville could still be used to convict her murderers, it emerged today.

The inquest into the death of IRA disappeared victim Jean McConville is to be delayed at the request of her family, it emerged tonight.

Politicians are backing calls by a leading coroner for reform of the Coroner’s Act.

A senior coroner has called for inquests to be given new powers in order to halt postponements and delays caused by witnesses not turning up.