Inquest returns suicide verdict for Seán O'Neill found dead at Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown
Seán O'Neill, a 25-year-old man from Mornington, Co Meath, was found dead on the grounds of Connolly Hospital, Blanchardstown, Dublin, in March 2017. He had been arrested on public order grounds in the early hours of March 8, 2017, made two suicide attempts in a cell at Ashbourne Garda station, was voluntarily admitted to the hospital, and left the emergency department of his own free will shortly after 7am. His body was discovered more than 24 hours later, and Fiosrú found no record of Garda activity in the 17 hours between the initial and second responses to his disappearance. An initial inquest in 2020 was abandoned after Garda civilian staff were found among the jurors. A second inquest concluded on September 3, 2026, with a jury returning a verdict of death by suicide.
- Reportednot reported
- Arrestednot reported
- Chargednot reported
- In court2 Sep
2 reports - Verdict
- Sentenced
Key facts
consolidated from all reports- What happened
- Seán O'Neill, a 25-year-old man from Mornington, Co Meath, was found dead on the grounds of Connolly Hospital, Blanchardstown, Dublin.
- He was voluntarily admitted to the hospital and left the emergency department of his own free will shortly after 7am on March 8, 2017.
- When
- He was arrested on public order grounds in the early hours of March 8, 2017, and his body was found more than 24 hours after he left the hospital emergency department.
- Where
- He was held in a cell at Ashbourne Garda station, where he made two suicide attempts before being released and taken to Connolly Hospital by ambulance.
- Cause
- A jury at the inquest returned a verdict of death by suicide.
- Investigation
- Fiosrú found no record of Garda activity in the 17 hours between the initial response and the second response to his disappearance, and no missing person report was logged on the Garda Pulse system by the first gardaí to respond.
- In court
- An initial inquest in 2020 was abandoned after Garda civilian staff were found among the jurors selected by a member of An Garda Síochána.
- The second inquest concluded on September 3, 2026, with the jury returning the suicide verdict on the third and final day.
- Other details
- He had also taken cocaine, was the sole prisoner in the station that night, and was intoxicated, with about 20 minutes elapsing between checks at one point due to a call.
- Garda Jeffrey Moroney had left the Garda college in Templemore three months prior to the incident.
21 statements extracted from the articles
- whatSeán O'Neill was a 25-year-old man (irishtimes.com)
- whatHe had made two suicide attempts while in Garda custody (irishtimes.com)
- whatHe was voluntarily admitted to the hospital (irishtimes.com)
- whatHe left the hospital of his own free will (irishtimes.com)
- whatHe had also taken cocaine (irishtimes.com)
- whatHe was the sole prisoner in the station that night and was intoxicated (irishtimes.com)
- whatAbout 20 minutes elapsed between checks at one point due to a call (irishtimes.com)
- whatHe was released from custody once paramedics arrived (irishtimes.com)
- whatGardaí were entitled to keep an intoxicated prisoner detained for up to six hours (irishtimes.com)
- whatGarda Jeffrey Moroney had left the Garda college in Templemore three months prior (irishtimes.com)
- whatHe was arrested on public order grounds outside his home in Mornington, Co Meath, in the early hours of March 8th (irishtimes.com)
- whatHe made two suicide attempts in a Garda cell before being released and brought to hospital by ambulance (irishtimes.com)
- whereHe returned to their home in Mornington, Co Meath, drunk after midnight on March 8th (irishtimes.com)
- whereHe was held in a cell at Ashbourne Garda station (irishtimes.com)
- whenHe left the emergency department shortly after 7am on March 8th, 2017 (irishtimes.com)
- whenHis body was found more than 24 hours after he left the emergency department (irishtimes.com)
- whenHe had been in court in Blanchardstown on March 7th (irishtimes.com)
- whenHis body was found more than 24 hours after he left the emergency department in March 2017 (irishtimes.com)
- investigationNo missing person report was logged on the Garda Pulse system by the first gardaí to respond (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe inquest hearing was due to continue on Wednesday (irishtimes.com)
- courtAn initial inquest in 2020 was abandoned after Garda civilian staff were found among the jurors (irishtimes.com)
The reporting
newest first- 3 Sep2026‘No record’ of Garda activity after initial response to disappearance of man who died by suicide
Inquest concluded with a suicide verdict; Fiosrú found no record of Garda activity in the 17 hours between the initial response and the second response to O'Neill's disappearance. An earlier 2020 inquest had been abandoned over juror selection issues.
victim, 25, male, irish (judged from name) - 2 Sep2026Man who took own life on hospital grounds had attempted suicide twice in Garda custody
Adds detail on two suicide attempts in Garda custody at Ashbourne station, the phone call to his partner Sophie Reed, the arrest on public order grounds, and testimony from gardaí David Campbell, James Haughey and Jeffrey Moroney.
victim, 25, male, irish (judged from name)