Cause of death?

[Death]

Is there any way of finding out the cause of someone’s death, date of death is 2009 so not long ago.
RIP just states suddenly. I can’t ask family....

[DazedandConfused]

Get a copy of the death certificate.

[Death]

Can anyone get a copy of a death certificate-if they are not related?

[Chocolate]

The cause of death is recorded on the death certificate and as far as I know this is available to anyone who applies for it (once the death has been registered)
https://www.birthsdeathsmarriages.ie/ce ... rtificate/
It costs €40.
The cause of death is usually only a line so it won't be very detailed. I don't know what happens if there's been an inquest.

[QUATTRO]

You can apply by post to the relevant registrar births deaths and marriages or call in person, it's twenty euro for a cert plus postage if having it posted.

[merrygoround]

Just playing devils advocate her but surely this is something a family should be allowed keep to themselves?

[Angel]

It’s available freely so I don’t think people can.

When my Mam died I’m pretty sure her fathers date of death was on and we found out he had died of testicular cancer. My granny always told us it was stomach cancer.

[Allmixedup]

Just playing devils advocate her but surely this is something a family should be allowed keep to themselves?

That’s not good public policy.

[Kensington]

Just playing devils advocate her but surely this is something a family should be allowed keep to themselves?

That’s not good public policy.

And someone could have good reason for wanting to know. My friend's parents were teenagers when she was born. No contact with father and she has no idea whether his wife and subsequent children even knew about her. He dropped dead in his early 50s. She got a copy of his death certificate because it was important to her to know some bit of her medical history without having to go through the whole contacting the family thing.

[Ribbit]

It will only be useful in a very general sense. For example my gran suffered with her heart for years. Every heart attack weakened her heart and attacks became more frequent. In the end her organs struggled as her heart was so weak. It was finally her kidneys which failed. Her death cert says "renal failure" which I guess is true, but she never suffered with kidney issues. It was her heart that she suffered with but as a result of that the kidneys failed in the final days. Reading her death cert would lead you to believe she had long term kidney failure, dialysis etc, which wasn't the case.

If a death is sudden, of course there may be curiousity, and perhaps suicide comes into mind, (major assumption). Death certs are available to the public for a fee and you can get a copy, but just be open minded about the cause. It may only be one word and may be misleading.

[Iamsoneedy]

Just playing devils advocate her but surely this is something a family should be allowed keep to themselves?

That’s not good public policy.

Why? I'd hate someone looking to find out a cause of death of a loved one if I had chosen not to share that. What use is that information to anyone else?

[StarryNight]

Catherine Corless used death certs to uncover what happened in Tuam.

[merrygoround]

Just playing devils advocate her but surely this is something a family should be allowed keep to themselves?

That’s not good public policy.

Unless I have read this post wrong, I don’t think this refers to a public health issue

I am not arguing that these documents shouldn’t be available but rather why you would want this information if you felt you couldn’t ask the family.

Either the cause of death was straightforward or there is a coroners report (often years later)

Regarding Catherine corless as I mentioned I am not arguing accessing these documents but rather why you would want to access this information when a family don’t see fit to share it with you . If there was anything suspicious it won’t come out of this doc

[StarryNight]

Cause of death is public information like information on a birth or marriage cert. Families don't get to control what information is publicly accessible. I doubt more than a handful of people would be bothered seeking out this sort of information just to have a nose.

[RDR]

why you would want this information if you felt you couldn’t ask the family.

Because they could also be your family but unaware of it; because there might be a reason you are NC (including but not only due to abuse or violence) ... that's just off the top of my head.