Woman calls for farmer awareness on rare killer bug after husband dies from sepsis

Irene Whelan said the family were not able to see Tom’s body after he died and weren’t able to have an open coffin at his funeral because of the aggressive nature of the bug.

The widow of a 77-year-old farmer who died shortly after contracting a killer bug has called for farmers to be made aware of the rare and deadly form of sepsis.

West Clare woman and mother of three Irene Whelan was speaking at the inquest in Ennis into the death of her husband Tom en route to hospital in an ambulance at Lack West, Kilmihil on August 15 last.