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The body looked fully dressed, but Terry couldn’t see any staining. She could see tears in the clothing and the woman’s fingertips had been gnawed — not surprising, given that she was at the mercy of any passing rodent or other four-legged resident of these grounds. Someone has to come and identify the body," she says. "You are immediately faced with the reality of that death and who it is going to impact. It was always in my mind that the families should get access to all the information we could give them about a death.
Body of Truth is full of suspense and the kind of in-depth forensic detail we would expect from a former state pathologist – riveting." Cassidy cites this as an example of great detective work. In fact, she is highly complimentary about the work of the gardai. Well, Sarah is an assistant fashion buyer with River Island and my son Kieran is a lawyer with Arthur Cox. And no, I’ll never be a grandmother, because they’re just like me and don’t like kids either! [laughing again] Pic: Lili Forberg for VIP MagazineAs former State pathologist, Cassidy also discussed how her role made her a figure of great interest in Ireland, which is a unique experience. I thought I would miss it dreadfully but, thankfully, I’ve got over it. I’ve got over my obsession with death." When I lose sleep it’s because I’m processing my postmortem findings and trying to make sense of them. I feel a tremendous responsibility to get things right, not only for the deceased person but also for their family. The worst diagnosis I can give to a family is that the cause of death is ‘undetermined'”
Asked whether she’d follow the same career if she was a student now, she says probably not, because there have been so many changes. The forensic scientist is now “the most important person in the room”. Former state pathologist Professor Marie Cassidy has been a storyteller throughout her career. In court, it was how she got her message through to jurors, so they understood what had happened to the person at the centre of a crime. Her memoir, Beyond the Tape (2020), was peppered with tales of cases she’d encountered over her 20-year career in Ireland. Her latest story, though, is a work of fiction.
She added: ‘It is just a complete contrast because I spent all my career with very serious solemn stuff. You live in that world and it’s quite difficult to escape from because you can’t be seen to be frivolous when you’re dealing with very important matters to families. Its synopsis reads: “Dr Terry O’Brien has recently arrived in Ireland from Scotland to take up a position as state pathologist. Soon after, a body is found in Dublin’s Phoenix Park. Rachel Reece, host of the popular true crime podcast ’Ireland’s Missing Women’, has been brutally murdered. It was sad in a way leaving it, but the most important thing to me is family, and now that my two children are centred in London, I just thought this is a no-brainer."
There’s not much I can do about people who think that it’s a bit odd. Well, it is — the whole thing is very odd — but I’m just there to have some fun. It’s an opportunity to do something you haven’t done before,” she said of the response.She became Ireland's State Pathologist from 2004 until 2018, her image synonymous with breaking news of high-profile cases - a trusted figure in turbulent times. She feels she got out at the right time. "Nowadays, the forensic scientist is monarch of the scene, and DNA evidence is the crown jewels. The pathologist is now on the periphery, we just dot the Is and cross the Ts. Forensic science has come to the fore." I was now thinking along the lines that the fire was set to conceal the fact that she had died from injuries,” she continued. “When I examined her lungs I could see there was some soot, some smoke particles in the lungs. It makes for grim though, alas, not surprising viewing. Cassidy revisits several other cases, including the 2013 murder of the mother of three Olivia Dunlea in her home in Passage West, in Co Cork.
Even so, she says, "You have to get used to not being at that birthday party, there will be days you will miss. So the time I did have was theirs," she says, referring to her two children, now grown up and living in London. That's when she got the call from Ireland's then state pathologist Professor John Harbison about a post as his deputy and so, in 1998, she moved with her Scottish husband Philip and young son and daughter, Kieran and Sarah, to Dublin. I was a bit naïve actually, I thought oh you’ll go and do a bit of dancing for a couple of hours and then I can go and put my feet up and do whatever I want to do but it really is quite full on," she said.While she often jokes about watching Coronation Street or having a glass of wine to relax after a long day, it’s just about clearing her head. Only when it was explained that one of the state pathologists was on board did they relent and move the bollards. No. I've done it and I hope I've done it well. There's only a few others like me left, I'm the last of the dinosaurs ... it's time to move aside and let the young pups come in."
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