Carbon monoxide poisoning blamed for 'tragic' death of Kilkenny couple

Gardaí believe that the deaths of an elderly couple whose bodies were found in a house outside Kilkenny city were the result of a "tragic accident".

However, a decision on the line of inquiry to be pursued in relation to the tragedy will not be finalised until after autopsies are carried out on Friday at University Hospital Waterford. Local speculation is that the two people might have been victims of carbon monoxide poisoning.

It's understood that the man, aged 83, and woman, aged 79, who have been named locally as Michael Hurley and Mary Holohan, lived together at the house at Johnswell, just outside the edge of Kilkenny.

"It's terrible," local Fianna Fail councillor Pat Fitzpatrick said. "They were a beautiful couple, quiet, lovely people who went about their business daily."

Michael Hurley's late mother was a well-known doctor in Kilkenny and also lived in the house where the tragedy happened before her own death several years ago.

They were very, very reserved people, they lived a very quiet life together. They went to the local shop in Kilkenny and supported everything in the community, anything that was going on such as the local sale of work.

Their bodies may have been in the house for some days, according to gardaí, and were discovered after family members became concerned about their welfare having not heard from them for some time.

The alarm was raised by family members at about 7pm on Wednesday evening and, after the emergency services were called to the house in the Kilderry area, the man and woman were pronounced dead at the scene.

It's understood the local coroner for Kilkenny was informed of the deaths and ordered autopsies to be carried out.

They were initially scheduled for Thursday but had to be postponed as the pathologist due to perform them was attending a murder trial in Dublin.

It's expected that the autopsies will be carried out by deputy state pathologist Dr Michael Curtis.

"We haven't ruled anything out but we believe it's a tragic accident," a garda involved in the investigation said. "They were two elderly people and it appears that it was carbon monoxide poisoning. I'd be very shocked if it was anything else."

Extending his sympathy and that of the wider community to the couple's relatives, Cllr Fitzpatrick said everyone in the area was "shocked" by what happened.

Carbon monoxide poisoning can occur when organic matter is not fully burned the gas can be emitted from heaters or cooking equipment, or from a fireplace if the chimney is fully or partially blocked.