The late film location manager Martin O’Malley, who died in a fire at his home in Co Meath in February last year, was described at an inquest today as “a great character”.
The inquest, conducted at Trim Courthouse by coroner Nathaniel Lacy, heard that the 67-year-old died from carbon monoxide poisoning following the fire in his house at Moynalty, near Kells, Co Meath, on The February 24th, 2024. A respected film industry professional, Mr O’Malley’s credits from the early 1990s included work on The Crying Game, The Commitments and Dirty Pretty Things. He filled the role of location manager on a number of films and had a small role as a priest in The Commitments.
Sarah Dever, who was a friend and visited him regularly, in a statement read to the inquest by Gda Insp Alan Roughneen, said, “I was very fond of him. He was a great character. He was a good friend,” and described how she had identified his body to Gda Niamh Conway.
Gda Brendan Mulligan of the Meath Scenes of Crime Unit told the inquest that when he and Gda Fionnuala McCorry arrived at the scene of the incident at 9.10am he was met by a neighbour, Aidan O’Brien. He said Mr O’Malley was lying on the kitchen floor of his house and not moving. The front and back doors of the house were locked and Mr O’Brien had gained entry through a broken window at the back which had been boarded up. Mr O’Brien had told Gda Mulligan that he could not see much because the house was full of smoke.
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Gda Mulligan said it appeared as though there had been a fire on a kitchen table in Mr O’Malley’s house as there were items on it which had melted. He had come across Mr O’Malley’s body and when he turned it over with the assistance of Mr O’Brien he noticed damage to his nose and a small amount of blood on the ground. He said there was a shotgun on the couch but it was not loaded and not assembled. The trigger was not on the gun, Gda Mulligan said.
Consultant pathologist Prof Muna Sabah gave evidence that following a postmortem on Mr O’Malley’s body she concluded that death had been caused by carbon monoxide poisoning. In reply to a question from a relative, ProfSabah said there was no alcohol or drugs in the deceased’s body.
The coroner returned a verdict in accordance with the medical evidence given by Prof Sabah and he and Gda Inspector Roughneen offered their condolences to the family of the deceased.
