Inquest told about horror death plunge at 'stag night' in club

May 23, 2006
Elaine Keogh

A YOUNG man fell to his death from a fire escape at a lap-dancing club as he smoked a cigarette.

Eamonn Mulvenna (20), of Villas 1, Muirhevnamore, Dundalk, was describing the town's early morning skyline to another smoker when he suddenly lost his footing and plunged 27ft to the ground below.

Reveller Ryan O'Neill had been visiting Whispers Club in Dundalk with a stag party when he met the victim outside on a fire escape which was used as the smoking area at about 2.40am.

"I saw a man sitting on the railings facing the club with his back to the alleyway," he recalled. "He started describing the view to me and said 'look at that town - it's a great view'. He was waving his left hand to show me the view.

"Next thing, he slipped back from the railings. It happened very quickly. I couldn't believe what I'd just seen."

The victim's heartbroken mother, Rita Mulvenna, wept as details of her son's injuries were given at the inquest into his death at Louth Coroner's Court yesterday.

"I wouldn't let a dog go to that place (the fire escape) never mind a person," she told the inquest.

"I just hope people who run these places around the country are more responsible (now). These places should not be allowed to be used as smoking area."

She said her son, who was afraid of heights, would not have used the smoking area if he had not been drinking.

The court heard the club has been sending its customers on to the street to smoke since the tragedy.

Louth County Coroner Ronan Maguire returned a verdict of misadventure.

But he also used the provisions of the Coroner's Act to make a general recommendation that any smoking area from which people could fall should have railings up to head height. Frank McCartney, director of Frankal Ltd which operates the club, said the club occupied the second floor of a premises on Earl Street; and in his statement to gardai, he referred to the smoking area as a fire escape.

"The fire exit door on to the escape was left open . . . if people wanted to go out and smoke," he said.

Pathologist John Ryan said the fall resulted in very severe head injuries. "The findings suggest he survived for a few minutes, but would have been deeply unconscious and I don't believe he would have felt anything," he said.

The post-mortem examination also revealed Mr Mulvenna had a blood alcohol level of 315mg or about four times the legal drink-driving limit.

The inquest also heard the Health and Safety Authority had "no function" in relation to the accident.