Family of pedestrian killed in collision to challenge decision not to prosecute motorcyclist

Seán McCárthaigh

The family of a Galway woman who died after being struck by a motorcycle in Dublin city centre two years ago have appealed a decision by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) that no criminal prosecution should arise out of the fatal incident.

Marie Farragher Pollard (62), from Bruckey, Castlegar, Co Galway, suffered fatal injuries in the collision with the motorcycle which occurred at around 10.40am at the junction of Eden Quay and Beresford Place, Dublin 1, on November 11th, 2022.

The retired nurse and married mother of three, originally from The Neale, Co Mayo, died two days after the incident at the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital in Dublin, where she had been taken by ambulance for treatment.

The driver of the motorcycle was uninjured and did not require medical attention.

A senior Garda investigator told a brief sitting of Dublin District Coroner’s Court on Wednesday that a file on the case had been forwarded to the DPP’s office since the previous sitting of the inquest into Ms Farragher Pollard’s death last December.

Detective Inspector Ken Hoare told the coroner, Clare Keane, that he understood Ms Farragher Pollard's family are appealing the DPP’s decision in relation to the Garda file on the fatal incident.

Det Insp Hoare said the family’s appeal meant the decision is now being reviewed by the DPP.

For that reason, he applied for a further six-month adjournment of the inquest under Section 25 (1) of the Coroners Act on the basis that criminal proceedings were still under consideration.

Dr Keane granted the application and adjourned the case for an update to a date in January 2025.

Ms Farragher Pollard, who worked as a nurse at University Hospital Galway for many years up to her retirement in 2020, had travelled to Dublin to attend an exhibition.

At the opening of her inquest in June 2023, the deceased’s husband, Tom Pollard, gave evidence of formally identifying his wife’s body.

The coroner also revealed that the results of a post-mortem examination showed Ms Farragher Pollard had died as a result of a traumatic head injury.