WE HAVE forgotten how to die well. That’s the thesis of a doctor friend of mine. He has done a study of Victorian art representing the moment of death, the time leading up to death, or the period immediately thereafter. The paintings inevitably portray a scene of sadness but, at the same time, a scene of peace and tranquillity and quiet.

Gardaí have ruled out foul play in the death of Peggy Mangan, the grandmother whose body was found at the weekend, four days after she went missing while out walking her dog.