Death of Brian Rossiter
2002 child death in Ireland
The death of Brian Rossiter occurred at Cork University Hospital in Cork, Ireland, on 14 September 2002, as a result of head injuries he had sustained several days earlier. Fourteen-year-old Brian Rossiter had been arrested for a public order offence on the night of 10/11 September 2002, falling into a coma whilst in custody at Clonmel garda station. Prior to his arrest, Rossiter had been assaulted by Noel Hannigan, who was later found guilty of this offence and sentenced to two and a half years imprisonment. However, the case was the focus of much controversy and media speculation within Ireland, owing to concerns as to whether the injuries that caused Rossiter's death occurred, not as a result of Hannigan's assault, but while he was in custody.
Rossiter's father took High Court action against the gardaí and called for CCTV cameras to be installed in all garda stations around Ireland, in every area of the station. An inquest into the death returned an open verdict and led to damages being paid to the boy's family.
Background
Brian Rossiter was the fourth of seven children born to Pat and Siobhán Rossiter. Brian moved to Wexford on 31 August 2002 with his mother and three younger siblings after the separation of his parents. On 6 September 2002, he returned to Clonmel with his mother for the weekend, staying with his older sister Sharon (who was then aged 23). Due to return to Wexford on 8 September, he missed the bus and at around 12:30 am in the early morning of 9 September, was assaulted by Noel Hannigan near his sister's house on Cashel Street.
The public source identifies “Death of Brian Rossiter” as 2002 child death in Ireland. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Death, Brian and Rossiter.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Death of Brian Rossiter”, the useful work is to connect “2002 child death in Ireland” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Vocabulary and entity names are the principal evidence signals here, because they determine the precision of every later search. The source revision retrieved here is dated May 28, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q5247403. The first chronological checks are 2002.
A concise general-reference account can conceal disagreements about scope, terminology or the weight assigned to individual sources. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Death of Brian Rossiter”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Death of Brian Rossiter primary sources, Death of Brian Rossiter archive and Death research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Death of Brian Rossiter”?
- Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
- What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Death of Brian Rossiter” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.