The village of Ballinacurra, east Cork, was in shock yesterday upon hearing that a local couple had died outside their mobile home. The couple, Mr Patrick Kingston (65) and Ms Celia Barrett (70), had been living quietly and unobtrusively in the village, which is two miles from Midleton, for a number of years.
The circumstances of the deaths are not yet clear but, according to Garda sources, Ms Barrett's body was "dripping wet" when discovered at 10.40 p.m. on Tuesday. Mr Kingston was lying nearby and had apparently suffered a heart attack. A barrel of water stood close to the neatly-kept mobile home surrounded by hedges and flower pots.
After the alarm was raised by neighbours, gardai cordoned off the scene of the deaths and the two bodies were taken to Midleton District Hospital. The assistant State pathologist, Dr Margaret Bolster, performed post-mortem operations yesterday.
Foul play is not suspected and an inquest will be held in due course into the circumstances surrounding the couple's death.