Novelist Marsha Mehran, whose body was discovered last week in a rented house outside Westport, Co Mayo, had been seriously ill for weeks before her death, an inquest has heard.

An inquest into her death in Castlebar yesterday was told by estate agent Teresa Walsh the author informed her by text on April 12th she had “been vomiting for the last few weeks”.

The inquest was opened and adjourned by coroner John O’Dwyer.

Ms Mehran (36), author of several novels including Pomegranate Soup and Rosewater and Soda Bread, signed a lease on a property at Pier Road, Lecanvey, in early January.

The Iranian-born author moved alone to the seaside village to work on a book, The Margaret Thatcher School of Beauty, set in Buenos Aires during the Falklands War.

Ms Walsh said she became seriously concerned when she could not contact Ms Mehran after being informed she was ill. After numerous phone calls between April 12th and April 21st went unanswered, she called on three occasions. On the final occasion, on April 30th, she banged on doors and windows. After failing to get a reply, she gained entry and found the writer face down on the floor. She then called gardaí.

'Medically wrong'

Her Co Mayo-born ex-husband, John Collins, whom she met while he was a bartender in New York told the coroner there was “definitely something medically wrong” with Ms Mehran.

Pathologist Dr Tiede Nemeth, who carried out a post mortem, said he had not been able to establish the cause of death and the results of toxicology tests were awaited.