Bride’s mother found dead on hotel balcony

Bride’s mother found dead on hotel balcony

Inquest rules death by natural causes

AN inquest into the sudden death of a woman who was found dead the morning after her daughter’s wedding day, returned a verdict of death by natural causes yesterday (Monday). Mary Rose Glynn, Monument Road, Menlo, Galway, was found on a balcony at Lisloughrey Lodge, Cong at 6.30am on June 30 last, the morning after her daughter Carrie held her wedding reception at the hotel.
Damien O’Toole of 27 Caheroyan, Athenry, Co Galway, was delivering papers to the hotel on the morning in question, when he saw what he thought to be a white blanket on a balcony in front of him. As he got closer, Mr O’Toole realised it was a woman in a white robe slumped against the balcony railing. Mr O’Toole beeped but there was no response from the woman.
He alerted Brian Joyce, the hotel night porter, who subsequently climbed on Mr O’Toole’s shoulders in an attempt to reach the balcony. After failing to gain a response from Mrs Glynn, the men rang the Emergency Services and fetched a ladder to gain access to the balcony. Mr Joyce gained access and was taking instruction from Emergency Services about performing CPR. Ashford Castle staff later arrived with a defibrillator, but there was no response. Ambulance staff and a doctor arrived, but Mrs Glynn was pronounced dead.
In his statement Mr Joyce said he met Mrs Glynn in the lobby of the hotel between 4.30am and 4.45am earlier that morning. Mr Joyce asked her if she’d had a good night, and she seemed to be in ‘good spirits’. After Mrs Glynn was pronounced dead, Mr Joyce said the doctor needed to identify the next of kin, who he only knew to be the bride.
Mr Joyce opened the door of the bridal suite with a master key card after nobody came to the door and he told the bride a doctor was with her mother and needed to speak with her. Mr Joyce said the bride, Carrie, was “naturally hysterical with grief.”
In his statement Michael Glynn, Mrs Glynn’s husband, said he had returned to the family home in Galway the night of the wedding as pre-agreed with his wife, as he had to look after some livestock. Mr Glynn left the reception at 11.45pm. Mr Glynn said his wife was in a ‘jovial mood’ on the night and had not complained about feeling unwell. He said his wife was getting her heart checked, as there was a history of coronary problems in her family.
Mrs Glynn was an ‘inveterate’ smoker, according to Mr Glynn, and she would consume up to 40 cigarettes a day, adding that she had gone out on the balcony of the room the night before the wedding on two occasions to have a cigarette. The morning after the wedding Mr Glynn received a call from his daughter Nicola at 7.45am to say Mrs Glynn had died, but she was incoherent with shock.
Dr Fadel Bennani told the inquest that Mrs Glynn had died of natural causes, namely acute myocardial infarction.
Coroner for south Mayo John O’Dwyer returned a verdict of death by natural causes. Mr O’Dwyer extended his sympathy to the Glynn family, who were in attendance and acknowledged that it was unfortunate that Mrs Glynn had died on the same day as her daughter’s wedding.
Carrie Glynn had asked him before the inquest whether her mother would still be alive if she had not married on that day, and Mr O’Dwyer assured her that she should not blame herself for her mother’s death, adding that because of Mrs Glynn’s heart problems, her mother could have passed away at any time.