North Louth: Fintan had not wanted to work in storm, inquest told

An inquest into the death of a north Louth man who was killed when a tree fell on the roof of his car during Storm Ophelia when a Status Red weather warning was in place nationwide, has been told that the 33 year old did not want to go into work that day.

The inquest was told that a very large tree had fallen on the roof of Fintan Goss’s car at Annaskeagh on the old Dublin/Belfast Road, near the turn off for Ravensdale on the afternoon of October 16th 2017.

A witness gave evidence that the tree was so big ‘there was nothing I could do’. A local GP pronounced the 33 year old from Ballymakellett, Ravensdale dead at the scene.

A Garda Sergeant in a deposition said the tree was so large, fire and rescue personnel had to seek assistance from Louth County Council as their own cutting equipment was not suitable.

She said it was difficult to stand in an upright position at the scene, the impact of the wind was challenging and frightening and it was not safe for emergency services to be working at the time.

Pathologist Dr. John Ryan who performed the post mortem said the cause of death was severe head injury consistent with a tree collapsing on the car.

He said death was close to instant and he replied ‘No’ when Louth County Coroner Ronan Maguire asked if Fintan Goss would have felt anything.

Peter Callaghan of SMT Fund Services Ireland Ltd told the inquest that financial services are a critical service and the government had not issued specific directives for businesses to close on the day in question and claimed that the company continued to be legally obliged to fulfill its obligations.

He explained that the company did not have work from home capabilities for all staff at the time and part of Mr. Goss’s role as supervisor was to review and sign off on the valuations when they were completed.

However barrister Hugh O'Keeffe who appeared on behalf of Mr. Goss’s widow Pamela and his family disputed that it was a critical service, saying that that designation had only occurred in the context of Covid restrictions.

He stressed that a Status Red weather warning was in place and he had instructions from Pamela Goss that her husband did not want to go into work that day.

The coroner returned a verdict of accidental death and sympathised with the family of Fintan Goss who he said was "a young man, bright, intelligent, hard working".

Sympathy was also expressed to Mr Goss's family on behalf of SMT Fund Services by barrister Paul McGinn .