Ireland

Family told Donegal couple found dead at home died in freak double accident

Gardaí sealed off the house in Convoy where the couple were found dead
Gardaí sealed off the house in Convoy where the couple were found dead Gardaí sealed off the house in Convoy where the couple were found dead

GARDAÍ believe an elderly couple found dead in their home in Co Donegal died in a freak double accident.

The bodies of Pat and Margaret Doherty were discovered by a niece who called to their home in Convoy in east Donegal around lunch time yesterday.

It is believed the couple both died from injuries as a result of a fall. A spokesman said Gardaí were alerted around 1.30pm and the couple were pronounced dead at the scene.

On the main Stranorlar to Raphoe road, Convoy is a small rural village. Once the home of the famous Convoy Woollen Mills, it is now considered mainly an agricultural centre.

The area around the family home was sealed off and Donegal coroner, Denis McCauley was called to the scene.

Mr and Mrs Doherty’s bodies were later removed to Letterkenny university hospital where a post mortem examination was due to be carried out.

Convoy Sinn Féin councillor Liam Doherty, a nephew of the couple, said it is believed that they both sustained head injuries in separate falls.

“The Gardaí seem to be satisfied there’s no foul play or no carbon monoxide or gases or anything," Mr Doherty said.

“Garda told us Margaret, she’s in her mid-70s, got out of bed and fell and took a knock to her head and died and then Pat, who’s in his mid-80s, got out of bed to help her and he fell too and banged his head and died."

Mr Doherty said the tragedy was discovered when his sister called to visit the couple who had no children.

“Pat was from Glenmaquin, just outside Convoy but worked a long time in England before they came back here. Margaret was from Galway and has one sister living there; she’s already been told what happened,” he said.

Mr Doherty said the couple were well known and popular in Convoy.

“They lived in a terraced house and they were very much a quiet couple, kept themselves to themselves but they were popular.

“I was in with them just yesterday (Tuesday) myself; they were very, very close,” he said.

Gardaí said they were treating the discovery of Mr and Mrs Doherty’s bodies as “sudden deaths.”

Gardaí sealed off the house in Convoy where the couple were found dead
Gardaí sealed off the house in Convoy where the couple were found dead Gardaí sealed off the house in Convoy where the couple were found dead