Former minister died from asphyxiation, inquest finds

Former junior minister Shane McEntee died as a result of asphyxiation, an inquest heard last night.

The politician was found dead at his family home in Co Meath on Dec 21, 2012, two days after his 56th birthday

Sergeant Mark Tobin told an inquest in Navan he had received a call at 10.30am that day to go to Mr McEntee’s home at Mitchelstown, Castletown, near Navan.

The sergeant said when he arrived, he found the former TD’s body lying on the ground covered by a blanket at the rear of a garage.

An ambulance and local GP, Dr Martin White, were at the scene and the doctor told the garda Mr McEntee was dead.

The dead man’s brother Larry gave evidence of formally identifying the remains.

Dr Muna Sabah, a consultant pathologist who carried out the autopsy, told the inquest she found no evidence of drink or drugs in the dead man’s system.

The doctor said her examination concluded that Mr McEntee died as a result of asphyxiation by ligature.

Coroner Dr Mary Flanagan concluded that asphyxiation by ligature was the cause of death and expressed her sympathy to the dead man’s family.

Mr McEntee’s brother Alan, in a statement on behalf of the family, urged people to look out for their friends

He expressed the family’s gratitude for the sensitive and professional way they had been treated by the gardaí and medical and emergency personnel.

He also said the family was grateful for the outpouring of sympathy they had received and the support they were still getting from the general public.

“This has been a very difficult 10 months for the family and the pain doesn’t go away.

“We would like to think that if any good is to come from Shane’s premature death it is that people will look out for one another — the people they live with, the people they work with and the people they play with.

“If we see a friend in difficulty take them by the hand an seek help.”

Shane McEntee, who was first elected to the Dáil in 2005, was hugely popular.

He spent his life immersed in farming, football, and politics. He had been a dairy farmer, agri sales rep, and publican as well as a one- time manager of the Meath minor football team before he being elected to the Dáil for Fine Gael in 2005.

Mourners at Mr McEntee’s funeral heard his brother, former Meath footballer Gerry McEntee, condemn “faceless cowards” who had sent the junior minister abusive text and online messages.

Friends of the politician said that at the time of his death he had been under pressure from his work as a TD and minister.

Three months after Shane McEntee’s tragic passing his daughter Helen McEntee won a by-election to succeed her father as a TD for Meath East.