Sudden, unnatural, violent or unexplained deaths must be reported to the Coroner. Doctors, funeral undertakers, the Registrar of deaths, any householder and every person in charge of an institution or premises where the person who died was residing at the time of death may inform the Coroner. Usually the death is reported to An Garda Siochana who will inform the Coroner.
No. In most cases, a GP or hospital doctor can certify the medical cause of death and the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages can register the death in the usual way. However, if a doctor has not seen and treated the deceased for the condition from which they died within 28 days of death, or the death occurred in any of the circumstances detailed in reportable deaths, then the death should be reported to the Coroner.
- All sudden, unexplained or violent deaths are reported (usually by the Gardaí or Doctor) to the Coroner.
- The deceased may be taken to a hospital mortuary or a funeral home until the Coroner makes a decision if a post mortem is needed.
- You may be asked to formally identify the deceased.
- A Garda may contact you to get more information about the circumstances surrounding the death.
- Medical information may be required.
A post mortem is a special medical examination of the body carried out by a specially trained doctor, a pathologist. Occasionally, organs may need to be retained for further examination. In such cases, the next-of-kin will be informed as soon as possible that this has happened and the organ will be returned for burial or cremation, by arrangement, once the examination has been concluded. In carrying out a post mortem examination, there is no disfigurement to the body (or further disfigurement of the body), which may be viewed afterwards, in the same manner, as if no post mortem had been performed.
Coroners post mortems in the Dublin District are carried out in the Dublin Mortuary, Griffith Avenue, Whitehall and in selected Dublin Hospital Mortuaries .
If there is a criminal investigation, it may be necessary to have a second post mortem examination or further investigations, and the release of the body and the funeral arrangements may be delayed because of this.
If someone is an organ donor, but their death is (or will be) reportable to a Coroner, permission of the Coroner and next-of-kin is required before organs may be donated. In situations where the Coroner grants permission for donation, the following post mortem examination will be limited.
It is for the Coroner to decide the matter following consultation with the Gardaí and advice from medical professionals. In general, the Coroner will facilitate requests for organ donation.
In most cases, our office will send a letter to the next of kin of the deceased when a death has occurred. This is to verify that we have the correct details i.e. name, address and date of birth. This is needed by our office so that any death registration reflects all the correct information. You can send us this information by email.
An interim certificate certifies the fact of a person’s death, it is not an official statutory form but may be of assistance when dealing with the Post Office, banks and other financial institutions.
If the coroner is investigating the death you can obtain an interim death certificate by e-mailing the office at [email protected] . Please give us your full name, address and relationship to the deceased. The interim death certificates can be posted or e-mailed to you.
Your Funeral Director will be able to help you. In every case where someone wishes to take a body out of Dublin to another country, written notice must be given to the Coroner. Out of State documents can then be given to the family or Funeral Director. This procedure applies in all cases not just when the death has been reported to a Coroner.
When a body is being brought back to Dublin from abroad, all relevant documentation that accompanies the body must be submitted to the Coroner in advance of arrival before permission is given for burial or cremation.
A post mortem report usually takes up to 6 months to be received by our office.
Once you have been notified that the Coroner has registered a death, you can contact the Dublin Civil Registration office for a death certificate.
Dublin Civil Registration Office
8-11 Lombard Street East,
Dublin 2
Tel: 01 8638200 / 8638209
or
Get an Irish death certificate online – HSE.ie
Please allow 5 working days for issue of death certificates
An inquest is an inquiry held in public by the Coroner. If the Coroner considers the cause of death may be due to unnatural causes, they can hold an inquest, sometimes with a jury. Evidence is taken from witnesses who can assist in answering questions for the Coroner’s enquiry. At the conclusion of the inquest, the Coroner will read out a formal verdict in which the identity of the deceased, how and when the death occurred is recorded. While the Coroner or jury may make a general recommendation designed to prevent similar deaths, they do not decide whose fault it was or whether there was a criminal offence.
Currently, inquests can take up to 24 months from the date of death to be heard.
*Correct as of August2022
The Gardaí need to collect information for the Coroner. The fact that relatives may be met at a hospital by a uniformed Garda, or the Gardaí may call to their home to take a statement, does not mean that the death is regarded as suspicious. The Gardaí are usually assisting the Coroner in establishing the identity of the person who has died, and where, how and when their death occurred.
If the Coroner decides an inquest is required, the Gardaí (acting on behalf of the Coroner) will also usually inform you of the date, time and place of the inquest as soon as possible.
Sometimes inquests have to be adjourned, for instance, if there is an ongoing investigation by the Gardaí. These investigations and any resulting criminal proceedings must be completed before the inquest proceeds. Adjournments can also occur if there are any ongoing investigations being carried out by other statutory bodies, e.g., the Garda Ombudsman, the Air Accident Investigation Unit etc.
All inquests are held in public and reporters may be present. The Coroner is aware of the sometimes tragic circumstances and will treat each case sympathetically. Every attempt is made to ensure that inquest proceedings are not unduly intrusive on families concerned. A useful website is www.pressombudsman.ie.
Yes, an interested person can apply for a copy of the post mortem report or any relevant documents in advance of the inquest. Applications can be made via email to [email protected]
Currently, we have Coroner’s records for the district of Dublin dating from 1984 to present. Interested parties can make a submission for the documents through the contact us form submission. Deaths that had occurred before 1984 and were subject to a Coroner’s inquiry, the files are now with the National Archives of Ireland. They can be contacted on https://www.nationalarchives.ie/ .
It is possible for certain inquests to be held based only on documents. The office will contact you if this is the case. This type of inquest means that you are not required to attend Court and the Coroner will not call any witnesses to give evidence at the inquest. Instead, statements outlining the facts surrounding the death will be read in Court and the Coroner will make findings and record a verdict. You may receive copies of any documents read and will be notified when the death certificate is available.
Some families prefer this type of inquest as it avoids what may be a stressful attendance at Court and the inquest may be held sooner than otherwise.
At a virtual (remote) inquest hearing members of the family and any witnesses join and participate in the inquest using IT platforms such as Zoom or Webex which run on PCs, laptops and smartphones.
There may be no persons present in Court other than the coroner and staff but witnesses or family may be present in person. The hearing is similar to in-person hearings in all other respects.
If your inquest is to be held virtually our staff will contact you with detailed instructions in advance of the hearing date.
If a Coroner decides to hold an inquest, you may need to attend Court.
The family and any other interested parties may request a copy of the post mortem and inquest file in advance of the inquest. You will also be informed about when and where the inquest will be held.
The Coroner’s Court is open to the public and to members of the press.
The family will be greeted by the Court registrar before the inquest begins.
There may be legal representatives present.
The inquest proceeds as follows:
- The Coroner opens the inquest
- Witnesses are called to give evidence and are sworn in
- Witness evidence is read by the Court registrar
- The Coroner may ask the witness questions.
- Other interested parties such as the family may then ask the witness questions
- If witnesses are not present, their evidence may be read out in court
- The Coroner makes findings and returns a Verdict
Families may choose to be legally represented at an inquest although this is not a requirement and is the choice of the family. If a family choose to be legally represented, their solicitor should notify the Coroner as soon as possible and the Coroners office will correspond directly with them with all information and documents. Certain other interested parties such as hospitals, other institutions or companies are generally legally represented at an inquest.
Please consult the court diary that appears on this website for the date, time and location of upcoming inquests.
If you require either ISL or translation services during an inquest please contact the office at least 14 days in advance and arrangements can be made for a qualified professional to attend court to assist you. The Court staff are also trained in the use of the JAM card system. The courts in Store Street and The Richmond Education and Event Centre are both wheelchair accessible.
Under the law in Ireland any Covid-19 related death must be reported by the treating doctor to the coroner, usually on the date of death.
The coroner notifies each of these deaths to the public health authorities daily and this contributes to Covid-19 related death statistics that are announced by Chief Medical Officer at media briefings and form the official record.
Covid-19 is a natural cause of death due to infection. In any death reported to a coroner where the cause of death is due to Covid-19 infection, and no other circumstances arise, there is no requirement for a coroner’s post mortem and the treating doctor of the deceased will issue the death notification documentation to allow the family to register the death.
In rare cases where other circumstances arise in relation to the death of a person who is known to have a diagnosis of Covid-19 the law obliges a post mortem to be performed. Examples of such circumstances are; accidental death, apparent self- inflicted death or suspicious death.
As Covid-19 is regarded as a natural cause of death an inquest is not required to be held.
In a small number of cases however where particular or exceptional circumstances arise an inquest may be held at the discretion of the Coroner. Each of such deaths are considered by the Coroner on a case by case basis.
The Coroner’s Office Access Officer is Mr Daryl Fenlon in accordance with Section 26(2) of the Disability Act.
The Access Officer is responsible for providing, arranging or co-ordinating assistance to persons with disabilities who wish to access the services provided by the Coroner’s Office.
The Access Officer also acts as a point of contact for persons with disabilities who wish to access such services.
Address: Coroner’s Office, 3 Store Street, Dublin 1, D01 R638
Email: [email protected]
Phone number: 00 353 1 8746684
Disclaimer: The contents of these pages are provided as an information guide only. They are intended to enhance public access to information about the coroners service. While every effort is made in preparing material for publication, no responsibility is accepted by or on behalf of the State for any errors, omissions or misleading statements on these pages or any site to which these pages connect. Although every effort is made to the reliability of listed sites, this cannot be taken as an endorsement of these sites.