Clannad star Noel Duggan died after he choked on a piece of garlic bread while out socialising with friends, his inquest has heard.
Mr Duggan took ill while dining with friends at Casadh an tSúgáin, in Loughanure, West Donegal on the evening of October 15th, 2022.
Evidence of his sudden death was given before Donegal County Coroner, Dr Denis McCauley at Letterkenny Courthouse.
The inquest heard how friends and then paramedics tried desperately to save the life of Mr Duggan but could not.
The 73-year-old had been drinking with friends at the pub since about 2pm that afternoon.
Witness and friend of Mr Duggan, John Sweeney told how he had met the musician around 2pm and they had decided to have food around 6pm after being joined by two other friends.
Mr Duggan ordered a starter but soon after he began to eat it, he began to gasp for air and suddenly slumped forward in his chair.
The manager was called and he tried desperately to perform the Heimlich manoeuvre on the star who lived nearby at Teach Neili Beag in Loughanure, but this did not work.
Mr Sweeney then told the court how waitress Brid Sweeney began to perform CPR on Mr Duggan as she was given directions over the phone by the emergency services.
A defibrillator was then sent for but it was too late.
Mr Sweeney told how paramedics arrived and tried to revive Mr Duggan and managed to remove what appeared to be a large piece of garlic bread from his throat using a long instrument.
A statement read out on behalf of Assistant Chief Ambulance Officer Brian Ferry stated that he was off-duty but was called to the scene and found waitress Brid Sweeney performing CPR on Mr Duggan.
Officer Ferry said an obstruction was removed from the patient which he thought was a piece of garlic bread.
Paramedics continued to work on the victim and cardiac drugs were administered while no shock was advised from a defibrillator at the scene.
The dead man’s brother, Columba Duggan, told how he had been called to the pub and identified the victim as being that of his brother Noel at 8.42pm.
Garda Dermot Gallen of Dungloe Garda Station said he received a report of a choking incident at a public house in Loughanure at 7.10pm.
He said he went to the scene and spoke to advanced paramedic Brian Ferry who said their efforts to revive Mr Duggan had been unsuccessful.
Garda Gallen said he had obtained CCTV footage from the scene and when asked by coroner Dr McCauley if this was simply an unfortunate choking and that there was nothing else to it, he agreed.
The Garda added that the body was removed from the scene at 9.10pm and was taken to the mortuary at Letterkenny University Hospital.
Pathologist Dr Gerry O’Dowd said an autopsy on Mr Duggan showed he had multiple small haemorrhages on both lungs which is consistent with death from asphyxiation.
The autopsy showed the victim only had one kidney while he was also suffering from coronary artery disease and was being treated for high blood pressure.
Tests also showed that Mr Duggan had an alcohol reading of 249 milligrammes of alcohol which coroner Dr McCauley noted was five times the drink-driving level.
He asked pathologist Dr O’Dowd if that could make one more likely to choke and was told that it could hamper reflexes and that includes swallowing and the ability to protect airways not functioning as well as someone without alcohol.
Dr McCauley commented “This was an accident but that level of alcohol made it more likely to happen.”
He found the cause of death was asphyxiation secondary to a blockage of the airways by food in association with a high blood alcohol level and he gave a finding of death by misadventure.
Dr McCauley and Garda Sergeant Fergus McGroary both sympathised with the family and friends of the late Mr Duggan.
A founding member of the world-renowned musical group Clannad in 1970, Noel Duggan died on October 15th, 2022.
He is survived by his sister, Máire “Baba” Brennan, brothers Eoin and Columba, his nieces, Moya and Enya, nephews, Pól and Ciarán and the extended Clannad family and friends.
He was predeceased by his father, Aodh, mother, Máire, sister, Bríd, his twin brother, Pádraig and brothers, Seamus and Beartlaí.
