The Irish in Britain, including those of Irish descent, make up a significant part of the UK population. Here, you will find news, entertainment, events, sports and features from the local Irish Post newspaper.

A CORONER’S court has heard how a 73-year-old Galway man was found dead in the courtyard outside his north London home in unexplained circumstances.

Bartley Breathnach, a retired builder, died on November 9 last year after he jumped or fell from a balcony outside his fourth floor apartment in sheltered housing in Ashdown Crescent, Kentish Town.

Mr Breathnach, who was born in Connemara, had lived in the sheltered housing, which he helped to build, for 10 years.

At St. Pancras Coroner’s Court last week, Police Constable Nick Archbold of Kentish Town police said: “There was a balcony down the hallway outside of the flat and we found that a chair had been placed near the edge.

“To me the positioning of the chair was inconsistent with a person who would have wanted to jump.

“There was no evidence of any third party involvement or any other suspicious circumstances.”

Recording an open verdict, coroner Dr Andrew Reid said: “The evidence did not determine whether he tripped, slipped, fell or deliberately jumped from the balcony.

“Therefore the only appropriate conclusion is an open verdict.”