A inquest has determined the finding of a woman’s body in an isolated area of west Cork, Ireland as nothing less than a “miracle.” The woman, 69-year-old Maureen O’Connor, lived a solitary “off-grid” lifestyle in a wooden structure in the remote area of Skehill, in Glengarriff.
O’Connor was declared missing on October 25th, 2023 following concerns raised by neighbours who had not seen her for some time. She had been a resident of a home located on a hill in Skehill for twenty five years, living alone after the passing of her long-time partner named Eamonn.
The search for O’Connor, which spanned over several days, was led by Mandana Ruane, a volunteer with the Castletownbere Coastguard. On the morning of November 1st, 2023, O’Connor’s body was finally located, approximately 170 metres from her home. Ruane described the surrounding area as being isolated, possessing tall grass and gorse, as well as being “boggy and rocky” and “very slippery”.
During the search, Ruane, who was located at a steep gully shrouded by gorse, discovered some items including a Wellington boot, a coat, and a jumper. Following her findings, Coroner Frank O’Connell questioned the difficulty of the terrain, to which Ruane agreed.
According to Ruane, she stumbled upon the sight by chance: “I slid there. I assumed she (O’Connor) slipped. Her clothes were huddled to one side with her body adjacent. The boot was not affixed to a foot. That’s when I noticed the body.”
The inquest acknowledged the remarkable discovery of O’Connor’s body, which was not initially visible to those traversing the area.
Alan Callander, a local resident, is believed to be the last person to have seen O’Connor alive, and noted that she suffered from dementia.
Additionally, Garda Colm Spring described O’Connor’s residential arrangements as a self-erected wooden shack, without access to electricity or running water.
A theory of what may have led to O’Connor’s fatal fall was proposed by Garda John O’Shea, who suggested, based on a narrative given by Callander, that she may have slipped while trying to fetch cat food stored under a car. He also remarked about O’Connor’s fondness for the stunning landscape surrounding her home.
“O’Connor held a deep affection for that locale, often using it as her lookout. There were no hints of any external party’s interference or suspicious circumstances in the matter. Deputy State Coroner Margaret Bolster stated that although there was no obvious cause of O’Connor’s death, the elderly woman had spent a considerable amount of time outside in damp clothing and most likely succumbed to hypothermia. Bolster noted that O’Connor had displayed a behaviour known as ‘paradoxical undressing’, a phenomenon associated with hypothermia. The cause of death was officially declared as accidental.”