GARDAÍ INVESTIGATING the death of a 35-year-old woman in a suspected case of carbon monoxide poisoning at a Kinsale hotel on Sunday intend to speak to two doctors who attended a number of guests staying at the hotel.
Gardaí investigating the death of Miriam Reidy hope to take statements in the coming days from the two doctors from the Southdoc medical agency who examined six guests at the Trident Hotel in Kinsale in three visits on Saturday night and Sunday morning.
Ms Reidy was found dead at her first-floor room at the Trident at about 2pm on Sunday.
Her sister Patricia was found unconscious and brought to Cork University Hospital, where her condition continues to improve and she was yesterday described as “stable”.
Gardaí suspect Ms Reidy died from carbon monoxide poisoning and plan to take statements from 70-plus hotel guests and 20-plus staff, as well as the two doctors.
A doctor from Southdoc in Kinsale was called to the hotel on Saturday at about 11.30pm to attend to a couple from Cork in a second-floor room who were complaining of headaches and breathing difficulties. He requested an ambulance to bring them to CUH.
Both were brought to CUH and seen in the emergency department, with the woman being admitted for treatment. The man was sent home at about 6am only to be recalled later after CUH staff learned of the suspected carbon monoxide leak at the hotel.
The second doctor called to the Trident was attached to Southdoc in Bandon and came on duty at midnight. He first attended at the Trident at about 4am on Sunday, when he treated a couple in a first-floor room who were complaining of headaches.
Two hours later, at about 6am on Sunday, the same doctor returned to the Trident after receiving another call that another two women in the hotel were feeling unwell. He then attended to Miriam and Patricia Reidy.
Southdoc medical director Dr Gary Stack said their primary concern was to put a patient in direct contact with a GP in a timely fashion, and this happened in Kinsale at the weekend, but he could not comment further because of patient confidentiality.
The Reidys were part of a group of 30 young women attending a hen party weekend in Kinsale for their cousin, Marie Reidy. Along with another cousin Patrice Reidy and friend Marie Shaughnessy, they were the only members of the group to stay in the Trident.
Miriam and Patricia Reidy went to bed at about 3am, while Patrice Reidy and Marie Shaughnessy, who were staying in an adjacent room, retired at about 6am. They were later found suffering from nausea by others in the group who discovered Miriam and Patricia.
Investigators say the fact Patrice Reidy and Marie Shaughnessy went to bed three hours later than their cousins possibly saved their lives as they were not subjected to the suspected fumes for as long.
Both recovered after treatment in a Cork hospital.
A British engineering consultant yesterday carried out various tests on the LPG-fuelled boiler and heating system at the hotel to see whether it was producing carbon monoxide, and find out how it might have got into the rooms. Tests are expected to continue for several days.
