Coroner finds emergency services response to stricken Mayo cyclist was appropriate

THE Coroner for Mayo has defended the response time by emergency services to attend to a cyclist found unconscious on the side of the N17 near Knock Airport, saying it was appropriate.

The inquest into the death of Simon Gannon of Kilmovee, Ballaghderreen, Co Mayo heard that he was found unconscious on the side of the N17 at Lurga, Charlestown having fallen while cycling on February 28, 2025.

There were no witnesses to the fall but passing motorists raised the alarm at around 12.10pm and the first ambulance arrived at the scene at around 12.39pm. He was brought to Mayo University Hospital where it was revealed he had a bleed on the brain and was not healthy enough to travel to Beaumont Hospital in Dublin for treatment.

The inquest heard he remained in hospital but his health deteriorated and he passed away on March 16.

Cyril Dennemont, a solicitor based in England and brother-in-law of Mr Gannon, questioned the response time of the emergency services in reaching the scene. He questioned why gardaí had not reached the scene before the ambulance service and believed if they had, they could have called for a helicopter to transfer Mr Gannon to hospital and there may have been a more positive response had he reached hospital sooner.

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Protocalls were followed

HOWEVER, both Sergeant Noel Crinnegan and Coroner, Dr Eleanor Fitzgerald defended the response time saying that the ambulance could not have reached Mr Gannon any quicker and all protocols were followed.

Dr Fitzgerald felt it would be very speculative to suggest there could have been a better outcome for Mr Gannon and felt the response time for a rural county was appropriate.

“We are the victims of circumstance and victims of where we live. Even if he was brought straight away, he would have had to go to Beaumont because Castlebar is not a centre [for dealing with brain injury].

“I take your point that timing is of an essence in any accident and emergency response is important and the timing of it. Mayo is a very big geographical county and timelines are important but the response here to me in the current guidelines was appropriate,” she said.

Earlier, Pauline Horan told the inquest that she was travelling with colleagues to work in the Knock Airport Business Park when they noticed a person on the side of the road. She said the person was still on his bike but was unconscious and there was blood coming from a cut to the left side of his head.

The inquest heard that CPR was performed on Mr Gannon on the side of the road but he remained unresponsive. Advanced paramedic Claire Fox explained she was in the area in the ambulance when they received a call at 12.27pm to attend and they arrived at the scene at 12.39pm.

A hospital report stated that Mr Gannon arrived at the hospital at 1.46pm and a CT scan showed significant haemorrhaging and as there was no fracture to the skull, there was no explanation for the bleed at the time.

Surgical advice received from Beaumont Hospital was not to perform surgery but to transfer him to Intensive Care for monitoring and be managed by the stroke team.

Mr Gannon was not deemed fit for transfer to Beaumont Hospital and after two weeks in hospital it was advised to refer him to palliative care as there were no signs of recovery.

A post mortem performed by Dr Tomas Nemeth, Consultant Pathologist in Mayo University Hospital showed that the cause of death was due a brain herniation due to intracerbral haemorrhage due to minor cranial trauma.

Investigation

A GARDA investigation found that there was no damage to Mr Gannon’s bicycle to suggest he was hit by a vehicle but there was a suggestion that damage to the front tyre may have been caused by a gully along the road. Two cameras on the bike were not working at the time Mr Gannon fell from the bike.

However, Mr Dennemont said his brother-in-law was an accomplished cyclist who was familiar with the road and dismissed the theory he may have come off after colliding with a gully. He questioned if fast moving traffic had resulted in him falling from the bike and caused the injury to the brain.

However, Dr Nemeth found that the facial injuries would not have caused injury to the brain and it was likely that Mr Gannon suffered a stroke while cycling which caused the fall.

Dr Fitzgerald said there was no evidence that Mr Gannon fell from the bike after colliding with a gully but there was also no evidence he was struck by a vehicle.

She agreed with Dr Nemeth that the fall did not cause his death and recorded a verdict of death due to natural causes. Mr Gannon was a single man who had worked as an archeologist and Dr Fitzgerald expressed sympathy to his sister and brother-in-law on his death.