[Cherie]

Police in Ireland are investigating the cause of death of two British pensioners whose bodies lay undiscovered in their rural bungalow for an estimated 18 months until they were found this week.

The couple, named locally as Nicholas Smith, 81, and his wife, Hilary Smith, 79, lived in a remote townland called Rossane, about three miles from Cloneen village in County Tipperary.

Police made the grim discovery on Monday after neighbours expressed concern about the couple, who had not been seen since late 2020.

Nicholas was in a bedroom and Hilary was in the living room. The blinds were pulled down. There was no sign of foul play or forced entry.

A postmortem by a state pathologist, Linda Mulligan, at University Hospital Waterford, was inconclusive. Police are awaiting the results of toxicology and other tests. There is speculation they may have died from Covid-19 or carbon monoxide poisoning, but police stressed they were keeping an open mind.

The couple had reportedly worked on cruise ships in Australia – Nicholas is said to have been a captain – before retiring to Ireland and moving to Rossane about a decade ago. They are not believed to have had children.

“They kept very much to themselves,” one neighbour told the Irish Times. “They were always polite and friendly in that they would say hello and wave at you if you saw them on the road, but they made it clear from the outset they didn’t want to be invited in for tea. They were very private.”

In late 2020 the Smiths told people in the area they intended to move to France, and they paid a man in advance to continue cutting their lawn so their absence did not cause concern. A strict Covid lockdown that continued into 2021 further dampened curiosity.

The garden’s unkempt condition, and the fact the couple’s car remained on the property, prompted police to make a welfare check on Monday.

The condition and expiration dates of milk cartons and other perishable items in the fridge suggest the couple died in November or December 2020. Police are inspecting letters and documents in the house for clues and liaising with police forces in the UK and Australia to learn more about the couple.

Mark Fitzgerald, a councillor, said the community felt shock and sadness, and also felt unfairly criticised on social media, where there have been accusations of a lack of neighbourliness.

“They had told people they were moving,” he told reporters. “The assumption was these people weren’t living in the area any more. We know very little about the couple. Personally as a councillor and publican you’d know everybody in the area but I never met them. They really did keep to themselves and you have to respect that.”

The Samaritans offer support and advice to people feeling suicidal or vulnerable 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Their website is https://www.samaritans.org, email address jo@samaritans.org or call free on 116 123


How very sad

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknew...216b6f345cdb1a

[UserSince2005]

British people choosing to live in Ireland? Very strange story, unbelievable really.

[Cherie]

Ireland is full of the feckers

[UserSince2005]

Originally Posted by Cherie

Ireland is full of the feckers

really? how bizarre.

[hijaxers]

Wow thats very sad but people really can't blame the neighbours in this case at all and it really could be any number of things that caused their deaths. I'm sure when tests come back they'll know. Dreadful they were there so long.

[user104658]

Have to say when the scene was described my immediate thought was Carbon Monoxide... but it is a bit odd that they had told people they were moving away .

[Crimson Dynamo]

F me what kind of neighbors leave it 18 months before they think "iv not seen that elderly couple, I wonder if they are ok"?

[arista]

They could have been murdered
sadly

[arista]

There was no sign of foul play or forced entry.

"They could have let the killer in."

[Cherie]

Originally Posted by LeatherTrumpet

F me what kind of neighbors leave it 18 months before they think "iv not seen that elderly couple, I wonder if they are ok"?

It’s quite unusual in Ireland, people tend to know everything about everyone


Suspect covid lockdowns played a huge part in this, not venturing too far from your house was strictly enforced

[Cherie]

what happened with the guy cutting the grass....he was paid in advance...when did he stop cutting it

[GoldHeart]

Originally Posted by Cherie

It’s quite unusual in Ireland, people tend to know everything about everyone


Suspect covid lockdowns played a huge part in this, not venturing too far from your house was strictly enforced

Yeah I was about to say .. isn't these areas usually quite small & close knit. But I know there's areas isolated .

Horrible story , surely when people/ neighbours didn't see or hear them for a while didn't it raise suspicion?.

[user104658]

I mean it depends on how rural they mean by “rural” - for example, my sisters nearest “neighbour” lives about a 5-10 minute drive away (I think about 6 miles). They wouldn’t have been seen in town or around etc but it’s possible no one knew what was going on with their house, and they had apparently told people they were moving away… people likely just assumed that they had indeed moved away.

[user104658]

I mean my neighbours right across the street upped and moved to Spain last month… and I assume they are indeed in Spain. There’s a sold sign up, their cars are gone, the blinds are permanently shut… I haven’t questioned why I’ve not seen them for a month…

… but… I mean… really I’m just taking it on faith that they went. They COULD in theory be sat in there dead .

[GoldHeart]

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

I mean my neighbours right across the street upped and moved to Spain last month… and I assume they are indeed in Spain. There’s a sold sign up, their cars are gone, the blinds are permanently shut… I haven’t questioned why I’ve not seen them for a month…

… but… I mean… really I’m just taking it on faith that they went. They COULD in theory be sat in there dead .

But that's different, if you've seen a sold sign up then it's not the same.

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by LeatherTrumpet

F me what kind of neighbors leave it 18 months before they think "iv not seen that elderly couple, I wonder if they are ok"?

Tbf if you read the article it says they'd told everyone they were moving to France

[Crimson Dynamo]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

Tbf if you read the article it says they'd told everyone they were moving to France

ah my bad

then that solves the case

[MTVN]

The car still being on the drive is the thing you'd think might have rang alarm bells sooner. Carbon monoxide would seem more likely than covid for them both to die presumably at basically the same time

It's sad they must not really have had any friends or family though, I always think it a bit strange when people show no real interest in knowing anyone else

[Cherie]

I am a bit intrigued by the guy employed to cut the grass, how long did he do that for, and not being too gory but there must have been loads of flies inside