Olivia Kelleher
A woman who was found dead at a property in Cork City has been named locally as Joyce O’Mahony.
It is understood Ms O’Mahony, who was aged in her 60s, may have lain dead in the house at Brookfield Lawn in the Lough area for at least a year.
Ms O’Mahony was predeceased by her father, Dr Thomas J O’Mahony, who had a successful GP surgery in the Lough prior to his death in 2010, while her mother Patricia died in January 2021.
It is believed that Joyce O’Mahony was still alive up to some time in 2022, based on items in her home.
Her remains were found on Tuesday afternoon after pest control services were called to a premises nearby.
Workers then went to the semi-detached house after they suspected the two-storey property was the source of the vermin problem.
The pest control firm contacted Gardaí after the discovery of Ms O’Mahony’s body and the area was sealed off. An investigation has since been launched.
It is understood that Ms O’Mahony was extremely private and had not been seen locally for several years. The garden of the property was very overgrown, and some neighbours had believed she had left Ireland.
The tragedy has shocked and saddened locals in the close-knit community.
Ms O’Mahony’s body was taken from a downstairs back room to the morgue at Cork University Hospital, where a post-mortem examination will be carried out on Wednesday.
There was no sign of forced entry at the property, and foul play has been ruled out.
The Coroner has been notified, and an inquest will take place in due course.
