The Tipperary couple who were found dead earlier this week both lay in separate rooms.
Gardai have thus far found no evidence of foul play and are exploring all possible options as to how the couple may have died, including Covid links. The couple, who have been named as Nicholas (Nick) and Hilary Smith, aged 81 and 79 respectively, are originally from the UK.
The Irish Times report that gardai found a milk carton in the fridge dated in 2020 which may help confirm the timeline of the couple's death. Mr Smith's body was found in one of the bedrooms while his wife was found in the living room.
READ MORE: All we know so far after couple discovered dead in house after 18 months
Locals had known the couple were due to travel to France at that time and that someone had been asked to cut their grass while they were away.
It's understood post-mortems on the bodies on Tuesday were inconclusive and gardaí now hope to use laboratory and toxicology tests to determine the cause of death because of the condition of the bodies. Dental records and DNA were used in the identification of the deceased.
Several upset locals in the tight-knit community of Cloneen, have spoken of their shock as they try to come to terms with the double tragedy.
“It’s such a shock for everyone. It seems their bodies were there for a long time,” one said.
“They told people they were emigrating to France or somewhere in late 2020 so people were under the assumption they had moved away,” a shocked local told this paper.
“It’s just shocking. It’s awfully sad and everyone is in disbelief, floored and shell-shocked. It’s very tragic,” another upset local said.
Another said: “It’s wicked shocking. Something like this has never happened around here before. I just can’t understand it. Everyone is in shock.”
Local councillor and publican of The Thatch pub in the village, Mark Fitzgerald said he too has been left shocked over the couple’s deaths.
With a population of only 60 residents in the small, rural agricultural village and 600 residents in the hinterland, the couple “kept to themselves,” according to Cllr Fitzgerald.
“As a local councillor and publican you’d think that you’d know everything but up until this tragic event I never heard of the couple or seen them.
“We are a small, tight-knit community and everyone is in shock and disbelief. One local said to me ‘Mark, you see these things on the news and you never expect it to be coming live from our village."
Gardaí say they are keeping an open mind in their investigation into the double tragedy.
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