Woman died from carbon monoxide poisoning

THE young woman who died in a Co Cork hotel room earlier this year while on weekend hen party died from acute carbon monoxide poisoning, it was confirmed yesterday.

Gardaí are still investigating 35-year-old Miriam Reidy’s death in Kinsale’s Trident Hotel on January 9, the Cork County Coroner, Frank O’Connell, was told.

The inquest into Ms Reidy’s death, which was opened in Bandon yesterday, heard evidence of identification and cause of death.

Ms Reidy, who was originally from Ballyhahill in Co Limerick, but who had an address at 16 Sunday’s Well, Lisloose, Tralee, Co Kerry, had been at a hen party in Kinsale and was sharing a room with her sister Patricia.

Garda Colin O’Mahony told the inquest that he responded to a call to the Trident that afternoon and went to room 113 where he saw the body of a woman, later identified as Ms Reidy.

He said Ms Reidy was pronounced dead at 2.45pm by Dr Helen Barry, and that the body was formally identified to him at Cork University Hospital the next morning by Ms Reidy’s brother-in-law, Tom Barrett.

Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster conducted the postmortem and told the coroner that, in her opinion, Ms Reidy died from acute carbon monoxide poisoning.

Blood tests revealed a COHb blood saturation level of 57%.

Levels between 10% and 30% can headaches, dizziness and fatigue, but experts say levels of 50% and over can lead to loss of consciousness, collapse, convulsions, coma, and finally death.

There was no trace of alcohol or any drugs in the body, and there were no signs of injury, she added.

Inspector Brendan Fogarty told the court that a detailed criminal investigation into the incident is ongoing.

“It is very technical in its nature and it very complicated. The file is quite large,” he said.

He applied for an adjournment of the inquest under Section 25 of the Coroner’s Act pending the outcome of the criminal investigation.

Mr O’Connell agreed to mention the inquest again on December 6 to establish the status of the investigation.

He extended his deepest sympathies to Ms Reidy’s sister, Siobhan, who was in court with her husband, Tom Barrett, and to Ms Reidy’s parents.

But he said he wants to hear the inquest in full, irrespective of the outcome of possible court proceedings, which may be technical in nature.