A rural community was in shock tonight after two elderly friends died from a suspected gas leak in a house.
The tragedy unfolded when Sally McDyre visited her 84-year-old friend Annie Nan Gallagher at her home near Glenties, Co Donegal.
When Mrs Gallagher’s daughter-in-law discovered the pair at 6.30pm yesterday, she was dead and Ms McDyer, 79, was unconscious on the floor.
The pensioner later died.
Ms McDyer’s niece Mary Nichols said the entire community was in shock.
“Nobody can believe it,” she said.
Ms Nichols said the women were good friends who had known each other since childhood.
“Sally was brought up where she lives, but she was away in England for over 40 years and she came back about four years ago,” she said.
“She started her life over again, as an elderly person, but she still had the same friends as when she was young.”
Ms Nichols said her aunt visited Mrs Gallagher, who she called Nana, at around 2pm.
“We just know that Nana was having a cup of tea when her daughter-in-law found her and that aunty Sally was on the floor,” she continued.
“The only thing we can think of is that Sally must have recognised there was something wrong with Nana and that she got up to go over to her and that she fell down.”
The women’s bodies were taken to Letterkenny General Hospital for post mortem examinations to determine if their deaths were caused by a gas leak.
The house, in the townland of Derries, was sealed off during the day as a forensic investigation was carried out.
Ms Nichols described her aunt was a strong outgoing woman who they expected to live well in to her to 90s, if not more.
She said the pensioner, due to mark her 80th birthday on October 14, loved to visit family and friends, shopping and dancing.
“We just can’t believe it because she is such an outgoing person,” Ms Nichols told RTE radio.
“She dances all the time, she goes out every single day. She walks up and down the road every single day, rail, hail or shine.
“She’s just a really strong woman in every way, personality, health wise, every way.”
Ms Nichols said while Mrs Gallagher was less independent but was surrounded by a supportive family.
“She has a fantastic son that lives next door to her and daughters that live in areas around Donegal,” she added.
“They always took the mother out and took her shopping once a week and did all those things with her.”
PA