GARDAÍ ARE hoping that post-mortem examinations and toxicology tests today will help them establish the cause of death of two young Waterford men who died in Kinsale in West Cork early yesterday morning.
Michael Coleman (22), Ballinclamper, Dungarvan, and Liam Coffey (22), Affane, Cappoquin, died some time early yesterday morning at Mr Coleman’s rented house at Abbey Lane.
The bodies were discovered at about 6.10am yesterday by Mr Coleman’s partner and she contacted the emergency services. She was comforted by neighbours before she spoke to gardaí. They have launched an investigation to establish what happened.
Mr Coleman, a chemical engineering graduate from Cork Institute of Technology, had only started work at pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly at nearby Dunderrow last week while his partner, a trainee teacher, had also just begun working at a local school last week.
It is understood that they had moved into the end-of-terrace dormer cottage about mid-May and that Mr Coffey was visiting them for the weekend.
Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster carried out a preliminary examination at the scene before the bodies were removed to Cork University Hospital.
Gardaí yesterday declined to speculate on how the two men may have died but it is understood that neither man had any visible signs of injury and there was no sign of forced entry.
While gardaí were last night refusing to rule out the possibility that the men may have died from some gas leak or poisoning, gardaí are thought to be more inclined at this stage to focus on the possibility that the men took or ingested some substances.
However Garda sources told The Irish Times that a preliminary examination by Garda technical experts had found no evidence of any narcotics or other substances or any drugs paraphernalia.
