Pensioners found dead in their bungalow may have died 18 months ago during lockdown

The couple were named as Nicholas Smith and his wife Hilary

An elderly couple whose bodies were found by police at their bungalow may have gone undiscovered for 18 months. The bodies of the man and a woman were found in in Cloneen, Co Tipperary, at 4pm on 20 June in separate rooms. According to the Irish Times the bodies were retired cruise liner captain Nicholas Smith, 82, and his wife Hilary,79. The newspaper said that police believe the couple died during the covid lockdown in late 2020 because of rotting items found in their fridge. Neighbours of the couple were said to have contacted police after noticing the grass outside their property had not been cut for some time. Other neighbours were said to have thought the couple had moved to France. Fine Gael councillor Mark Fitzgerald told the Times “the news of the death made it a very sad day for the area,” which he described as, “a close knit community.” Post-mortem examinations took place on Tuesday for nine hours, but the results were inconclusive. Related links:

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