A 90-year-old man who was given permission by the Irish Catholic Church to become a hermit died after suffering a cardiac event and suffering hypothermia after trying to climb Donegal’s highest mountain.
The inquest into the death of Myles Gallagher was held before county coroner Dr Denis McCauley at Letterkenny Courthouse.
The late Mr Gallagher, from Baltony in Gortahork, was renowned for his devotion to prayer and his extraordinary life.
His inquest heard how on December 2nd, 2022 at approximately 2.15pm he called into a shop in Falcarragh belonging to his nephew Seamus McGee.
He asked Mr McGee to drive him to Errigal Mountain so he could climb it but Mr McGee refused saying it was too late in the day.
Mr Magee heard later that day that Mr Gallagher had contacted another man, Patrick McMenamin and he had taken him to Dunlewey close to Errigal after saying he wanted to go visiting some local people.
Mr McMenamin said he had not noticed anything unusual about Mr Gallagher on the day and that they had spoken about his childhood and other things.
He added that Mr Gallagher asked to be left off at the ‘old church’ at Dunlewey saying he wanted to visit people but did not mention that he had planned to climb the mountain as he knew he would tell his nephew, Seamus McGee.
Mr McGee became concerned later and he called to his uncle’s home but he wasn’t there.
The front door was open as was normal when Myles was not at home and everything was in place.
Mr Magee said “I knew his form” and said he contacted Gardai later that afternoon that Myles was missing from his home.
After waiting through the night, Mr McGee told the inquest that at 4.30am the following morning he was informed that a body had been found on Errigal by the Donegal Mountain Rescue Team.
“We had a good relationship but I had no idea that would be the last time I would see him,” said Mr McGee.
The inquest heard that Gardai became concerned for Mr Gallagher and had contacted the Malin head Coastguard Rescue who had scrambled the Rescue 118 helicopter from Sligo to the scene.
A statement read out on behalf of Lee Boyd of the Donegal Mountain Rescue Team confirmed that a body was located on the mountain by the Rescue 118 team at 3.31am and that there was no sign of any heat signatures from the body.
At 4.10am members of the Donegal Mountain Rescue team reached the location of the body and it was confirmed to be that of Myles Gallagher who was unresponsive and pale in colour.
Garda Mark O’Sullivan of Milford Garda Station had been on duty during the incident.
He again outlined the events of the day leading to Mr Gallagher’s disappearance and the emergency services’ response to the incident.
He revealed that when Mr Gallagher’s remains was found it was 15 metres off the pathway but still some way from the top of the mountain.
Mr Gallagher had various injuries to his body and that his hands were clasps around his chest when he was found.
He was removed from the scene and taken down the mountain by members of the Donegal Mountain Rescue Team while Advanced Paramedic Adrian McGeehan pronounced Mr Gallagher was dead.
Garda Superintendent Michael Finan confirmed the death was not suspicious and Mr Gallagher’s nephew Seamus McGee then called to the mortuary at Letterkenny University Hospital to formally identify his uncle.
Pathologist Dr Gerry O’Dowd gave evidence of a post mortem being carried out on the late Mr Gallagher.
He said Mr Gallagher had suffered a number of abrasions which were most likely from a fall.
Further investigations showed that Mr Gallagher suffered from high blood pressure and also showed signs of heart disease which pointed to a cardiac event on the mountain.
Dr O’Dowd outlined a number of potential scenarios which may have eventually led to Mr Gallagher’s passing.
Coroner Dr Demis McCauley said he was satisfied that death was due to cardiac arrest as a result of acute ischemic event in association with hypothermia.
A verdict of misadventure was also recorded by Dr McCauley.
Dr McCauley and Garda Sergeant Fergus McGroary both extended their sympathies to the members of Mr Gallagher’s family who were present at the inquest.
The coroner remarked that Mr Gallagher was a unique and interesting man with a good religious faith who was unfortunate that this event happened to.
Mr Gallagher’s family recalled briefly his life and times and how it was the subject of a documentary entitled A Life Less Trodden.
That film gave an insight into the unique life of Mr Gallagher whose life had many twists and turns from being in the New Zealand Air Force to serving James Bond star Roger Moore and the first man on the moon Neil Armstrong in one of Australia’s top hotels.
The late Bishop Seamus Hegarty approved his application to become a hermit in 1992.
Mr Gallagher’s nephew Seamus McGee concluded “He was a very smart man and wanted to leave a mark behind him. He tested himself and wanted to test us all.”