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'First Irish case' of death by spontaneous combustion
BBC ^ | 23 September 2011 Last updated at 15:19 ET | Staff

Posted on 09/23/2011 1:10:55 PM PDT by Red Badger

A man who burned to death in his home died as a result of spontaneous combustion, an Irish coroner has ruled.

West Galway coroner Dr Ciaran McLoughlin said it was the first time in 25 years of investigating deaths that he had recorded such a verdict.

Michael Faherty, 76, died at his home at Clareview Park, Ballybane, Galway on 22 December 2010....

Deaths attributed by some to "spontaneous combustion" occur when a living human body is burned without an apparent external source of ignition.

Typically police or fire investigators find burned corpses but no burned furniture.

An inquest in Galway on Thursday heard how investigators had been baffled as to the cause of Mr Faherty's death.

Forensic experts found that a fire in the fireplace of the sitting room where the badly burnt body was found, had not been the cause of the blaze that killed Mr Faherty.

The court was told that no trace of an accelerant had been found and there had been nothing to suggest foul play.

The court heard Mr Faherty had been found lying on his back with his head closest to an open fireplace.

The fire had been confined to the sitting room. The only damage was to the body, which was totally burnt, the ceiling above him and the floor underneath him.

Dr McLoughlin said he had consulted medical textbooks and carried out other research in an attempt to find an explanation.

He said Professor Bernard Knight, in his book on forensic pathology, had written about spontaneous combustion and noted that such reported cases were almost always near an open fireplace or chimney.

"This fire was thoroughly investigated and I'm left with the conclusion that this fits into the category of spontaneous human combustion, for which there is no adequate explanation," he said.

(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Miscellaneous; United Kingdom
KEYWORDS: bushmills; ireland; jameson; mystery; poteen
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To: Red Badger

I’ll have a case of what he was drinking.


21 posted on 09/23/2011 1:27:49 PM PDT by RichInOC (Palin 2012: The Perfect Storm.)
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To: Red Badger
The court heard Mr Faherty had been found lying on his back with his head closest to an open fireplace.

A heart attack, maybe, in a sealed room, near an open fireplace? Kind of like smoking brisket in a closet smoker, perhaps?

22 posted on 09/23/2011 1:28:28 PM PDT by Mr Ramsbotham (Laws against sodomy are honored in the breech.)
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To: WayneS
I'm skeptical about this being the first Irish case of spontaneous human combustion, and I have two words which explain my skepticism: Irish Whiskey.

That's Gaelicist!

23 posted on 09/23/2011 1:53:46 PM PDT by Ken H
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To: RichInOC

It must have been Jameson’s, surely.


24 posted on 09/23/2011 1:55:31 PM PDT by elcid1970 ("Deport all Muslims. Nuke Mecca now. Death to Islam means freedom for all mankind.")
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To: RichInOC

It must have been Jameson’s, surely.


25 posted on 09/23/2011 1:55:31 PM PDT by elcid1970 ("Deport all Muslims. Nuke Mecca now. Death to Islam means freedom for all mankind.")
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To: Red Badger

Ahhhh... it was the poteen that did it.
Firewater!!


26 posted on 09/23/2011 2:11:47 PM PDT by La Enchiladita
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To: prisoner6
You should have used Tinactin.
27 posted on 09/23/2011 2:13:08 PM PDT by JimC214
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To: Red Badger
My mummy told me I would be turned into stone if I ever looked at a magazine like this and I'm afraid I'm already starting.

28 posted on 09/23/2011 2:13:46 PM PDT by Vigilanteman (Obama: Fake black man. Fake Messiah. Fake American. How many fakes can you fit in one Zer0?)
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To: Red Badger

The ceiling above him and the floor underneath him were also burnt. Hmmmmmmm........new carpet.....he was wearing socks......he was doing THE WALL STREET SHUFFLE and he built up so much static electricity that he became a human generator and shorted out when he decided to have a touch of “ta nectar of ta gods” from a metal cup. Case closed. Join us back here next week as Blueunicorn6 solves THE MYSTERY OF THE MISSING MARGARITA.


29 posted on 09/23/2011 2:23:31 PM PDT by blueunicorn6 ("A crack shot and a good dancer")
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To: Red Badger

The poor sod made an ash of himself. sd


30 posted on 09/23/2011 2:31:00 PM PDT by shotdog (I love my country. It's our government I'm afraid of.)
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To: ozark hilljilly
A human body has SO MUCH FAT on it that it will burn like a candle, the clothing acting as a wick. Saw it on some documentary somewhere...

Burns very slowly but very thoroughly.

Sometimes nothing left but the feet.

31 posted on 09/23/2011 2:43:41 PM PDT by Huebolt (It's not over until there is not ONE DEMOCRAT HOLDING OFFICE ANYWHERE. Not even a dog catcher!)
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To: Red Badger

32 posted on 09/23/2011 2:47:46 PM PDT by yefragetuwrabrumuy
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To: Vigilanteman

She was just saying that to scare you. She really meant just a part of you.


33 posted on 09/23/2011 5:01:22 PM PDT by Erasmus (I love "The Raven," but then what do I know? I'm just a poetaster.)
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