The north Mayo coroner said yesterday that "a love triangle situation" had existed before the deaths of a man and a woman in Foxford last December.
An inquest in Ballina heard that Keira Henry (27), Belass, Foxford and Séamus McElhatton (38), The Brook, Ballina, left Maloney's Pub, Foxford around 11.20pm on December 15th last.
Ms Henry was spotted shortly afterwards by two local schoolgirls descending steps to the nearby River Moy followed by Mr McElhatton. Both their bodies were found in the river some days later following an intensive search by the rescue services.
An inquest lasting three hours was held yesterday into Mr McElhatton's death. The jury returned an open verdict of death by drowning with the consumption of a large amount of alcohol a contributory factor.
An inquest into the death of Ms Henry will hopefully be conducted within a month, the coroner Dr Eleanor Fitzgerald said.
Anthony Devaney (31), from Stonehall, Foxford told the inquest that he got engaged to Keira Henry in January 2005 and in March they moved into a house together in Foxford. There were no definite plans for a wedding but October 2006 was mentioned, he said.
He said that on December 15th last, he was at home when Keira rang him on her way home from work and said she was having a drink in Ballina. At about 7.30pm he rang her and she said she was getting a taxi and would be up.
He said that while out drinking with Hughie Maloney later that evening he was "mad and upset" to see Keira drinking in Maloney's Bar in Foxford with Séamus McElhatton. He told her they were finished. She did not say a lot as she had a lot of drink taken, he said.
He said he then went into the front bar and Keira followed him and took off her (engagement) ring and threw it at him before she "stormed out the front door".
He said that five minutes later Keira came in, threw her Pass Card at him, said "we're finished", and walked out again.
Mr Devaney said when he went home in the company of Hughie Maloney, Keira was not there. They drank cans before going back to Maloney's Bar for a take-out of cans and a small bottle of Power's whiskey about an hour later.
The next day Garda PJ Clarke told him that Keira's bag had been found under the bridge. He was shocked but knew that Keira would not do something stupid.
On Sunday, December 18th, he got a call to say Keira's body had been found in the river. "I loved Keira and I always will," Mr. Devaney said in a statement.
Simon McElhatton, Riverside, Foxford, a brother of the dead man, told the inquest that Séamus, who was separated from his wife, and Keira had been involved in a relationship for over a year.