A leading coroner has recommended that children continue to be fully vaccinated against all the common childhood illnesses and that public health campaigns to recognise childhood sepsis continue following the tragic death of a three year old Co Donegal boy from invasive Group A Streptococcal.
Darragh Gallagher complained of being unwell and having abdominal pain on March 17th, 2023.
His symptoms never improved and he was taken to a NowDoc out-of-hours GP service in Letterkenny the following day.
A mild viral infection was diagnosed and Darragh was sent home.
Little Darragh passed away just 30 hours later in the early hours of March 20th at his home at Cinema Road in Milford.
A heartbreaking inquest into the death of the little boy, the youngest of three children to Maeve and Ian Gallagher, was held at Letterkenny Courthouse.
The inquest opened with a statement from Garda Matthew Burke who attended Darragh’s home and was told the child had suffered a cardiac arrest and was being treated by a number of paramedics but that resuscitation had been unsuccessful.
A doctor pronounced Darragh’s death at 2.47am and he was transported to the morgue at Letterkenny University Hospital before being transferred to Crumlin Children’s Hospital in Dublin for an autopsy.
An audio conversation was then played between Mrs Maeve Gallagher and the NowDoc/CareDoc service which took place at 2.20pm during which Mrs Gallagher told of her son being very unwell.
She outlined how her son became unwell and was complaining of abdominal pain on March 17th and on March 18th, she had given him Microlax and that he had passed a bowel motion but that this had not relieved the pain.
A nurse returned Mrs Gallagher’s call at 3.08pm and an assessment was made with an appointment being made to bring Darragh to NowDoc/CareDoc to see a doctor at 6.45pm.
On the way to the appointment, Darragh began vomiting and his mother had to remove his trousers, the inquest was told.
Mrs Gallagher told of the hours leading up to attending NowDoc/CareDoc with her son and how he wasn’t really eating or drinking.
She told the doctor that Darragh was susceptible to sore throats and that he had a cough like “a bark.”
She outlined how her son’s health had deteriorated at home and despite being given a suppository, he continued to complain of abdominal pain before she took him to NowDoc/CareDoc on the evening of March 19th.
She told how the doctor, Dr Xenofontas Bazoukis, who wore a mask and spoke English with an accent, had directed his questions to Darragh but that her son looked to her to answer the questions for him.
Mrs Gallagher said she had informed the doctor that the area around her son’s belly button was red, that his throat was red and that he had not really eaten or drank.
The GP who attended to Darragh at NowDoc, Dr Xenofontas Bazoukis, gave his evidence by videolink to the inquest.
He told how he reviewed Darragh’s triage notes, noted that he was allergic to Penicillin, was complaining of a sore neck, headache and a pain in his abdomen.
He said he took his temperature and his pulse and they were in the normal spectrum, he had no rash and had checked his ears and throat but found no infection while he had no crackles and no respiratory distress and his heart sounded normal.
Dr Bazoukis, a Greek national, said he thought Darragh may have had a mild viral infection and was recommending mild painkillers such as paracetamol but that if new symptoms emerged he should be reassessed at NowDoc.
He said that he had heard later that Darragh had died and that he was “shocked and saddened” and again offered his condolences to Darragh’s family.
Dr Bazoukis was asked a number of questions by coroner, Dr Denis McCauley following his statement about his examination of Darragh.
He asked if Darragh had walked into the NowDoc treatment room as the doctor had suggested despite the fact that Mrs Gallagher said her son had to be carried in.
Dr Bazoukis also denied that Darragh’s throat was red or infected as his mother had said.
On the issue of antibiotics, Dr Bazoukis said he did not see the need to prescribe antibiotics to Darragh as he suspected he had a mild viral infection.
Coroner Dr McCauley put it to Dr Bazoukis that in her evidence, Mrs Gallagher said she had requested an antibiotic for her son.
Dr Bazoukis said he could not recall Mrs Gallagher asking for an antibiotic but that his findings were that Darragh did not require an antibiotic.
The inquest was told that Dr Bazoukis had been working in Ireland since September, 2019, approximately three and a half years before this incident and was registered with the Irish Medical Council.
Barrister for the Gallagher family, Seamus Breen, Senior Counsel, asked Dr Bazoukis if he received information in March, 2023 about Group A Streptococcal and he confirmed that he had.
He added that he was also aware of a spike of the condition in Greece a month before when he had been back in Greece.
Dr Bazoukis was asked if he had a discussion with Mrs Gallagher about going to the emergency department at Letterkenny University Hospital and that he had replied she could take Darragh there but she could be waiting a long time for a blood test.
He added that he said there was no reason for Darragh to be taken to the hospital because of his findings after he had seen the child.
He was further asked if he thought Darragh would be treated quickly or efficiently in the hospital and replied that he did not know but that from his experience of what his patients tell him, there is always a long waiting list at the emergency department.
Extensive evidence at the inquest was also given by Dr. Michael McDermott, a consultant at Crumlin Children’s Hospital who performed a post mortem on Darragh on March 21st, 2023.
Dr McDermot explained how Darragh’s death was amongst 12 deaths of children in the winter and spring of 2022/2023 as a result of a spike in invasive Group A Streptococcal.
He said those children who died were a sub-group of a larger number of children who required hospitalisation including some 200 who required to be placed in intensive care.
Dr McDermott said the health authority could see we were getting a spike in the condition and a group was established to try and get ahead of a peak in Ireland.
He added that a ‘task force’ was set up to deal with the outbreak but that we have now returned to lower levels of Streptococcal but that it remains “a potentially serious and lethal infection.”
Addressing Darragh’s case, Dr McDermott said he wanted to speak or address his parents Meave and Ian directly and to assure them that Darragh’s condition and his tragic death was not as a result of something they missed adding that experienced healthcare professionals also find it very difficult.
He added that it was not a failing of theirs or anybody that was caring for Darragh.
He said medical professionals looking after children are trying to find clues but that at the moment they are picking them up so late.
He said doctors need to find a faster test for this and hopefully it will come and that hopefully the tragic lessons learned from children like Darragh will ensure that in five years time the coroner will not be holding inquests like this one.
Coroner Dr McCauley put to Dr McDermott that Darragh’s family are confused and perplexed that he was seen 30 hours before this.
Barrister Seamus Breen, SC, put it to Dr McDermott – “Darragh or Darragh’s body was dealing with something, possibly viral on the 18th and 19th of March and the working thesis is that for whatever reason, Strep then took over and ultimately and unfortunately claimed his life.”
Dr McDermott replied that would be the case for Darragh and “all the other children that presented in that way.”
Mr Breen then put it to Dr McDermott that all GPs should have been supported by the health authorities.
“A very dangerous bacteria like this and the very dangerous consequences it can have culminated in twelve other deaths so there are twelve other similar families to the Gallaghers dealing with this dreadful, dreadful outcome.
“It obviously places an extremely difficult burden on GPs who have handled this first instance and they should obviously be supported to the fullest extent possible both in their direct practices and in the available hospital services, isn’t that correct?” he asked.
Dr McDermott replied that action was taken by the health authorities in response to a spike in Streptococcal in the winter of 2022 and spring of 2023.
He replied “I’m sure the coroner will make available to you, if you haven’t seen it already, an incident report that was prepared by the health authorities in response to that and that detailed report to which myself and my colleagues obviously contributed some information and it proves the timelines and information that was generated and circulated in an attempt to get ahead of this evolving situation so you and your client may find some of the information helpful.”
Mr Breen asked would it be worthwhile notifying parents in the so-called schoolbag message or the Aladdin App of the possibility of this condition.
Dr McDermott added that this was not his area of expertise but the doctors involved would have this consideration on a regular basis.
He added “When do we produce information? Do we cause alarm unnecessarily by flagging something too early? Do we miss opportunity by flagging something too late?
“I think I would be on very safe ground to say that very question would have been part of a considered series of discussions by all of the health authorities right throughout that winter. What should we say and when should we say it? What are the benefits of speaking out and what are the risks of speaking out? I am absolutely sure it was a consideration for them.”
Coroner Dr McCauley asked the parties present if they had an opinion on the possible verdict of the inquest.
Darragh’s mum Meave said that she would like a verdict of medical misadventure.
However, Dr McCauley said that he understood the request but that based on the evidence that he had he could not bring in a verdict of misadventure.
Coroner Dr McCauley delivered a narrative verdict saying “Darragh died as a result of Bacterial sepsis as a result of Invasive Group A Streptococcal infection.
“This was an overwhelming infection that possibly started eight hours before Darragh died and it was probably preceded by a viral infection.
“He was seen 30 hours previously by the out of hours service at which time a viral infection was diagnosed.”
The coroner issued two riders considering invasive Group A Steptococcus (iGAS) is such a rapidly developing illness with extremely sudden onset resulting in severe injury and death especially in children under 1 year and for which there is no specific test to help in its early diagnoses.
Dr McCauley said that it is vital that children are vaccinated and that public health campaigns into childhood sepsis should continue.
He advised “Because this life changing and potentially fatal infection normally preceded by a simple viral infection, the most effective action that parents can undertake to minimise the immediate and long lasting devastation that iGAS can have on their community is to ensure that their children are fully vaccinated against all the common childhood illnesses particularly seasonal influenza and chickenpox (varicella)
“Encourage the continuance of public health campaigns in relation to the recognition of the early forms of childhood sepsis in such a way that it does not cause excessive alarm but informs the public.”
Coroner urges vax and public health campaign after tragic death of Milford child from Strep A was last modified: February 4th, 2026 by Staff Writer