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Following their Spotlight on the Troubles series, BBC ran an astonishing Behind the Scenes program that must have left even those who thought they knew what happened in the Northern Irish Troubles doubt that they really knew what was going on.  The revelations turned the Troubles into a real life version of John Le Carre's Tinker-Tailor-Soldier-Spy. But Northern Ireland … [Read more...] about Spotlight on the Suicides: Behind the Scenes

I had no reply to the letter sent in September featured in last week’s post - Spotlight on the Politicians.  Michelle O’Neill had a nothing response to a letter she sent the Northern Ireland Office.  Vaughn Gething’s office (Wales Health Minister), when asked, acknowledged receipt of the letter but figured they had only been sent it for information – there was no need for them … [Read more...] about Spotlight on the Suicides: Women and Knights (?)

This Continues the Spotlight on the Suicides series.  Astonished by the conclusion of Stephen O'Neill's inquest, I wrote to Northern Ireland's Deputy First Minister, copied to the Ministers of Health in Ireland, Simon Harris, in Wales Vaughan Gething, and in England Matt Hancock, along with the Danish MEP, Margrete Auken, the European Ombudsman, Emily O'Reilly and Martina … [Read more...] about Spotlight on the Suicides: The Politicians

This post continues the Spotlight on the Suicides series. There were 8 named people in Stephen O'Neill's medical record, or who made entries in the record between the time of first admission and his death.  He appears to have told most of them that in his view the sertraline he had been put on and took two doses of had had a disastrous effect on him.  There were likely up to … [Read more...] about Spotlight on the Suicides: The Hospital Doctors

Continuing the Spotlight on the Suicides Series I have largely avoided naming names and will continue to avoid putting names in the frame but Stephen's family doctor's name, Dr Brannigan, is already in the public domain, and I've made it clear that the coroner thought highly of him and the whole point behind these posts is to show how even a decent doctor can end up in a … [Read more...] about Spotlight on the Suicides: The Family Doctor

This continues the Spotlight on Suicides Series - The photograph is of Patrick McGurgan - the coroner.  Mr McGurgan appeared to be a decent man.  He treated everyone with courtesy and appeared to be listening.  His conclusions at the end of the inquest provoked a correspondence from me that will be posted later in this sequence in its entirety - there is nothing in this that … [Read more...] about Spotlight on the Suicides: The Coroner

This is part 2 of Spotlight on the Suicides. In February 2017, I received the email below.  The email address gave no hint of where it came from - it could have been any English speaking country but the word Trust in the second and fourth paragraphs suggested England. The details seemed clear enough for me to respond that the coroner would have to request my input and I … [Read more...] about Spotlight on the Suicides: Overture

Northern Ireland has been at the centre of European, even world politics, over the last three years, as a result of a referendum in Britain that was held with little, if any, thought of the possible consequences for Ireland. If an alien zooming towards Earth burst through the atmosphere and was faced with the Western European Archipelago (WEA), it might figure these islands … [Read more...] about Spotlight on the Suicides in Northern Ireland