Inquest finds 19-year-old died at Cork music festival after ingesting 'ecstasy bombs'
Cork City Coroner's Court heard that friends of Clonmel teenager Jack Downey saw him ingest ecstasy rocks wrapped up in cigarette rolling papers.
A 19-year-old man died of total organ failure after taking a number of so-called "ecstasy bombs" at the Indiependence music festival campsite near Mitchelstown, a coroner's court has heard.
Cork City Coroner's Court heard that friends of Clonmel teenager Jack Downey saw him ingest ecstasy rocks wrapped up in cigarette rolling papers on the early afternoon of August 2, 2019, just days after obtaining the illegal substances for the first time, and not long after arriving at the campsite.
Numerous witness statements said Mr Downey and some friends had decided to experiment with ecstasy over the Indiependence festival weekend, which has become a prominent cultural and social event in Ireland over the past decade.
Having bought the drug from a distant cousin of one of his friends on Thursday, Mr Downey confided to another friend that night while in bed that he had experimented with a slight amount of what they obtained that evening.
Having never taken such drugs before, Mr Downey took a "bomb" soon after arriving at the campsite on the Friday afternoon.
Despite beginning to sweat profusely, speaking erratically, and having a vacant look in his eyes, Mr Downey declined to pay heed to the warnings of his friends and ingested more of the ecstasy bombs, saying he was okay.
Eventually, he became so unwell that his social group alerted security, who called paramedics.
Red Cross emergency medical technician Martin O'Callaghan said in a statement that he was alerted to the scene of a reported seizure at the campsite, whereupon Mr Downey was eventually brought on a buggy to the medical centre.
Dr Kate Reilly, a GP assigned to the festival, said in a statement that while Mr Downey was coherent and talking, his legs and arms were moving involuntarily.
He was sweating profusely, went between states of agitation and calm, and began hallucinating at one point.
He then began to deteriorate and lost consciousness, with tightly clenched teeth.
An ambulance was called to bring Mr Downey to Cork University Hospital. He died on August 5, having been in a coma.
Dr Margaret Bolster, assistant state pathologist, told coroner Philip Comyn that the results of an autopsy indicated that while some morphine found in the system was in the potentially lethal range, it was an ecstasy overdose that was the main cause of death.
His body had overheated, with brain swelling, with organs failing, in what Dr Bolster said was the "classical" signs of overdosing on the drug.
Trauma played no role in his death, nor were there any underlying diseases or conditions.
Mr Downey was one of the unlucky ones who suffer the severe effects the first time they ingest ecstasy, she said.
The court heard that the DPP had decided that no charges were to be filed in relation to Mr Downey's death.
Det Sgt James O'Shea said that upon investigation of the scene at the campsite in the aftermath of the incident, no drugs were found.
He made a point to praise Mr Downey's friends as forthcoming, cooperative, and helpful throughout the investigation.
The coroner was told by one of Mr Downey's friends that they were not searched by security when entering the festival's campsite.
Mr Comyn recorded a verdict of misadventure, saying a "terrible tragedy" had occurred as a young man dabbled in illegal drugs.
Assistant state pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster said Mr Downey died of total organ failure and overheating of the body primarily brought on by ecstasy.
She agreed with Mr Comyn that taking street drugs without knowing what they contain can essentially be "Russian roulette" - a deadly game where someone puts a gun to their own head with one bullet and five empty slots in the chamber, and pulls the trigger.
She said that when it comes to ecstasy, all people have differing reactions when they take it. Some people, she said, can take it regularly but for others, the very first time they take it can be fatal.
Mr Comyn said the tragedy was of a "young man starting on his journey in life, with all life's possibilities in front of him".
"Unfortunately, he decided - like many people his age - do dabble or experiment in drugs. He wasn't a regular drug taker.
"There is no control on the making of ecstasy or any other illicit street drug. If anything is to be learned from this tragedy, it is that there is no such thing as a safe illicit street drug.
"Every time you take one of them into your hands, you take your life into your hands. If you give one of these tablets to your friends, you are taking responsibility for their lives. Even one can be fatal."
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