Joyce O’Mahony had ignored multiple contact attempts from family when she was found dead at her home in Lough, Cork, in May last year by a man who thought her home was derelict
A woman who lay dead in her home for at least six months had not been seen in two years, an inquest has heard.
The skeletal remains of Joyce O’Mahony were discovered in her home in Lough, Co Cork, last year by a man carrying out pest control who thought the semi-detached home was vacant. Eoin Grant recounted his horror at prising his way into what he thought was a derelict property, only to be met with Joyce’s remains.
The 57-year-old had lived something of a hermit existence, Cork coroners court heard, usually only leaving her home at night for groceries. She was discovered when Mr Grant used a crowbar to get into the house, believing the neighbour’s mice problem was coming from there.
The court also heard how the 57-year-old had rebuffed “countless attempts” from family to help her. Gerard O’Connor, Joyce’s next-door neighbour, said: “I’d see her the odd night going to Supervalu. You would never see her during the day.”
He added that Joyce’s sister had previously sent Garda officers round in concern, but that she “told the guards that she didn’t want any contact with anyone”. “You would see the lights on at the back of the house at night,” he said.
Mr O’Connor added that the light was on at the back of the house every night, Cork Beo reports. He assumed Joyce was turning it on in the evening. He said he last saw Joyce in person in October 2022, seeing her walk past outside.
The deceased had given him a key years earlier for emergencies, but later took it back after her mother died. Mr O’Connor said that had been his last contact with Joyce. “Covid came and then you wouldn’t see anyone. I was still working then. I did shift work,” he said.
Evidence from Joyce’s GP Dr Claire McCarthy described her as “sad and reclusive” with a history of mental health and personality disorder issues. The doctor said it was her understanding Joyce had worked in an X-ray department in the UK.
A statement from Joyce’s family said she had become “withdrawn” following her father’s death and that they made made attempts “on a number of occasions” to reach out. Joyce had later been a carer for her mother with dementia, the family said, but rebuffed attempts at support.
“We made attempts to reach out to her (Joyce), through ‘on spec’ calls to the house and with notes under the front door, but again to no avail. When our mother died, during the height of Covid-19, we kept Joyce informed of the funeral arrangements and offered to arrange transport so that she could attend. She didn’t engage and didn’t attend.
“It was with great sadness and shock, then, that we learned, in May 2024, that Joyce had been tragically found dead in the family home.” The family added that they would remember Joyce at her best as a “lively intelligent and capable person”.
“She had an excellent sense of humour and had a personal interest in fashion, music and horses. Sadly, before and after she moved back from London to Cork in 2010, there was a notable change in her and she became withdrawn and uncooperative, eventually rebuffing countless attempts by the family to reach out to her in person, by phone, text or email. We held a small, private funeral service for Joyce in June 2024. We hope that, now, she can rest in peace.”
Coroner Philip Comyn said that there was no third-party involvement in the death. An open verdict was recorded. Mr Comyn offered his sympathy to the O’Mahony family whom he said “found themselves in a difficult position” when Joyce became more and more “reclusive and withdrawn”. He stressed that there was no “lack of empathy” for Joyce but she wanted to live a reclusive life. Unfortunately, she was on a “downward spiral” which was no doubt worsened by the pandemic
