Complaints about pest problems by local residents led to Tuesday's grim discovery
The family of Joyce O'Mahony, 68, whose badly decomposed body was discovered at her home near The Lough on Tuesday afternoon, said they were “deeply sorry” as they confirmed her funeral will take place privately.
The O'Mahony family said in an obituary that Joyce would be “deeply regretted by her family and friends.”
She was the daughter of the late Dr. Timothy O'Mahony and his wife, Patricia 'Patsy', a noted pianist.
Joyce was the sister of Jakki, Peter and Paul.
Neighbors in Brookfield Lawn said Joyce was a kind-hearted woman who was very private.
A local woman said she often refused to answer calls at her door.
Today's news in 90 seconds – May 23, 2024
Campaigners for the rights of older people have now called for a safety net from the Department of Social Protection to prevent tragedies where people who die at home go undiscovered for months or even years.
Gardaí are not treating Ms O'Mahony's death as suspicious.
Locals at Brookfield Lawn were shocked that such a tragedy could have occurred on the mature estate.
The legacy of Covid-19, a family bereavement and the changing aspect of the estate with an increased number of young families and short-term rentals have been put forward as explanations for the tragedy.
Joyce was a very private person – and locals believed she had moved to Britain after her mother's death.
Cork elder rights campaigner Paddy O'Brien warned that such tragedies are happening far too often in Irish society – including three in the past two years in Cork, one of which involved a man whose body lay undiscovered in his home in Mallow lay. .
Mr O'Brien warned it was “a desperate tragedy” and said measures to introduce a safety net to protect the elderly should be considered.
“I have already spoken to the Ministry of Social Protection about this,” he said.
“If someone doesn't collect their pension for six weeks, this has to be reported to the head office. They then write to the pension recipient and if they don't get a response within six weeks, the pension is stopped.”
Mr O'Brien said it was then imperative that authorities such as the Gardaí are then formally notified – and that careful follow-up checks are carried out to ensure the safety and well-being of the person.
“It's just not enough to write a letter to the pensioner.”
Mr O'Brien stressed that some people want to be left alone and have their privacy respected.
But he said society has a duty of care for everyone, especially the elderly.
“The reality is that a knock on someone's door can save a life.”
Mr O'Brien also said “red flags” should be noted, ranging from uncollected mail, the overgrown or increasingly abandoned state of someone's home, unanswered calls at the door or the disappearance of someone from a well-known local routine.
He also said a register should be kept of people living alone who may be vulnerable.
“Every parish should have a visiting committee of volunteers who can contact someone, just once a week. The sad fact is that some people have no contact at all.”
Joyce 'Joy' O'Mahony lived alone and her body was discovered in a ground floor room of the two-storey property on Tuesday afternoon.
It is feared she lay dead in the house for almost two years before she was discovered.
Her remains were found when local residents raised concerns about a pest control problem and a local company investigated.
Both Gardaí and Cork Fire Brigade attended the scene when human remains were found to be present in the property.
Paramedics also arrived on the scene.
The Office of the State Pathologist was notified and the remains were examined at the scene before being removed to Cork University Hospital (CUH) mortuary.
A full post-mortem examination was carried out on Wednesday – with the possible assistance of a forensic anthropologist.
Formal identification required an examination of dental records.
Local residents indicated that Joyce O'Mahony had not been seen in the area for some time, possibly in late 2021.
However, there is evidence that she was alive until the end of 2022.
“She was a very nice person, a very gentle lady and largely kept to herself. You would see her around The Lough every week. She would stop and talk to people she knew, but she protected her privacy,” a neighbor explained.
She was predeceased by her father, Dr Thomas 'Tim' O'Mahony, who underwent a very successful and major GP surgery in the Lough before his death in 2010.
Her mother Patricia, who was known as Patsy, was known locally in The Lough as a stylish, generous and very musical person.
She died in January 2021 in a nursing home.
Patsy O'Mahony, originally from South Terrace in Cork, died aged 91.
She was known for her piano playing and had a great love for music.
The couple had four children: two girls and two boys, whom they raised on the property not far from the picturesque bird sanctuary.
Patsy O'Mahony was a widow for more than a decade after the death of her 84-year-old husband 14 years ago.
Based on an examination of items in her home, it is believed that Joyce was alive until sometime in 2022.
Mail and food items indicated they were purchased in mid to late 2022.
Some residents believed the woman had temporarily moved from the area to Britain after a death in the family.
The property's garden was heavily overgrown and locals were shocked by the revelation of what gardaí had discovered in the house.
Locals have raised complaints about pest problems in recent weeks and months, with investigations leading to Tuesday's grim discovery.
The scene was sealed off by Gardaí to allow a full technical and forensic investigation.
However, there were no signs of forced entry into the property and there were no signs of any disturbances in the home.
No foul play is suspected in the incident.
Detectives will now examine the food items at the property, as well as bank, telephone and postal records, to try to determine the deceased's last known movements and activities.
Gardaí are now carrying out door-to-door inquiries in the area to try to establish the last known public sighting of the woman.
A file will be prepared for the coroner's office in Cork.
An inquest into the death is expected to take place next year.
It is the third death in Cork in recent times.
Last year, a Cork coroner returned an open verdict in the case of a man who lay dead and undiscovered in his home for 22 years – less than 100 meters from the main Cork-Limerick road.
The family of Timothy O'Sullivan, 61, who had lived in Britain before returning to Ireland, called for an urgent review of the dilapidated home rules as they warned no other family should have to go through what they have been through .
The skeletal and partially mummified remains were found on January 13, 2023, by council workers inspecting an abandoned property on Beecher Street in Mallow.
Mr O'Sullivan, born in Caherciveen in Kerry but raised and worked in Britain, died sometime between January 9 and January 23, 2001, but was not discovered for 22 years.
The period before his death was determined by a dated Tesco store receipt, personal diary entries and the timing of his social security benefits.
Another man lay dead near his Cork apartment for almost six months before he was discovered.