The elderly English couple found dead in their home in Tipperary likely died in late 2020, Gardaí believe. 

The couple, who have been named locally as Nicholas and Hilary Smith, were incredibly private people and locals thought they had simply left the area. 

“They [Gardaí] believe they may have died in either November or December 2020 and laid undiscovered at their bungalow some 4km from Cloneen village for over 18 months,” Barry Roche of the Irish Times told Newstalk.

A post-mortem examination was not able to confirm the cause of death and authorities hope that toxicology reports will be able to do so. 

Foul play is not suspected but Gardaí have preserved the house as a crime scene as a precautionary measure. 

'A very private couple'

The news has shocked locals in the area. Few of them knew the Smiths well but all are nonetheless saddened that their bodies went undiscovered for so long: 

“They were a very private couple, they kept very much to themselves in the area even though there are houses quite near to them,” Mr Roche explained. 

“They wouldn’t have engaged hugely with locals in the vicinity. 

“Secondly, the people that they did meet, they informed them that they were going to France around November 2020. 

“So the expectation and belief was that they had actually gone to France and then of course COVID might be a factor in terms of people not being out and about as much. 

“At the time, November 2020, I think we were re-entering a hard lockdown, so that may have been a factor as well in people not noticing the lack of activity around the house.” 

The couple had made arrangements for the grass to be cut while they were gone and so from the outside everything seemed normal.

It was only when the Smiths’ lawn began to grow wild that neighbours became concerned and asked Gardaí to carry out a welfare check. 

It was then that the bodies were discovered.

Additional reporting: Eoghan Murphy

Main image: No Entry tape in front of a Garda Patrol car at an incident in Ireland.