Ellen O'Donoghue and Vivienne Clarke
Gardaí expect postmortem examinations on Wednesday will confirm that a man and woman found in their home in Co Kerry on Tuesday morning died from carbon monoxide poisoning in an apparent double suicide.
As The Irish Times reports, the bodies of the couple, named locally as David (52) and Hazel Byrne (51) were found by members of the Kerry County Fire Service when they entered the couple’s bungalow home at Mountain Stage outside Glenbeigh on the Ring of Kerry on Tuesday morning.
Glenbeigh priest Fr Kieran O’Sullivan has spoken of the response from the local community to the deaths of Mr and Ms Byrne.
People have been saying prayers and laying flowers outside the home of the couple, he told RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland.
While there was a great tradition in Ireland of being good neighbours, some people wanted to live more private lives and that had to be respected, he said.
“People come to places like Glenbeigh for its beauty and its scenery and all of that. And they want a nice quiet life, they just want to be left alone and live their lives. And we have to respect that, too.”
Locals had gone to check on the couple and found a notice on the door warning people not to enter because of carbon monoxide and they immediately raised the alarm and gardaí requested the assistance of Kerry County Fire Service.
Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus entered the house and found the bodies of the couple in a bedroom. Once the house was vented and made safe, gardaí preserved the scene and requested the services of a State Pathologist.
It is understood a postmortem will take place on Mr and Ms Byrne’s remains at University Hospital Kerry on Wednesday which gardaí expect will confirm that both died from carbon monoxide poisoning.
Garda sources said the formal identification of the couple is likely to involve either dental records or DNA samples as it is understood that both remains were badly decomposed in the sealed house possibly since early October.
The Byrnes were originally from Mallow in North Cork but sold their home at Ballinvuskig outside the town around 2018 and moved to Glenbeigh.
Gardaí notified the Byrne’s relatives in Mallow of the tragedy though it is understood they had not been in contact with their families for years.
The scene remains preserved and an examination by the Garda Technical Bureau wll take place on Tuesday, while gardaí investigate all circumstances surrounding the discovery.
If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can freephone the Samaritans 24 hours a day for confidential support at 116 123 or email [email protected].
Alternatively, the contact information for a range of mental health supports is available at mentalhealthireland.ie/get-support.
In the case of an emergency, or if you or someone you know is at risk of suicide or self-harm, dial 999/112.
