By Claudia Trotman,Olivia Kelleher
Copyright dailystar
An elderly couple, both aged 83, tragically took their own lives at their home in Kenmare, Co Kerry in November 2021, an inquest in Tralee revealed. Tony and Phyllis Gilbert were discovered deceased at their bungalow in Dromneavane, Kenmare, Co Kerry just after 10am on November 14th, 2021. Their daughter-in-law, Beryl Gilbert, who regularly did shopping for the couple, testified at the inquest in Tralee District Court. She explained that due to Covid-19 restrictions, her intention that morning was to leave the shopping at the doorstep of their home. However, she noticed a note attached to the door. The message, written on A4 paper, chillingly read: “All going to plan we should be dead.” The author of the note requested her to contact the gardai and mentioned that a front door key could be found in a flower pot, which the gardai could use to gain entry , reports the Irish Mirror . Kerry Coroner Aisling Quilter noted that shortly after the couple’s bodies were discovered, gardai found a tape recorder with two recordings of the couple’s voices. A note directed the gardai to listen to the recordings. In one recording, Tony Gilbert stated that they had been “together in life” and intended to be “together in sleep.” The inquest learned that the couple had relocated to Kerry from the UK in the 1990s. They had previously operated a successful glass engraving business on Henry Street in Kenmare. Felicity Gilbert, a granddaughter of the pair, described the couple as being “as close as you can be companionship wise.” She explained that they had become “quite reclusive” and were maintaining their distance from society due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Solicitor Vincent Coakley informed gardaí that Tony Gilbert had telephoned him in October 2021 enquiring about drafting wills for both himself and his spouse. Mr Gilbert informed Mr Coakley that they were “anxious to make a will because of good health.” He stated that the pair were reluctant to visit his office to execute their wills after providing him with details of their intentions over the telephone. Mr Gilbert explained that they were concerned about the Covid-19 virus given his wife’s health vulnerabilities. Nevertheless, Tony and Phyllis Gilbert arrived at his office on the afternoon of 10th November 2021 and executed their wills. Mr Coakley noted that whilst Mrs Gilbert was “very infirm” both she and her husband possessed the mental capacity to draft their own wills. There was no coercion and the execution of the wills was witnessed by three individuals. The garda evidence revealed that a patrol car was summoned to the location at approximately 10.20am on 14th November 2021. Gardaí entered the bungalow and discovered the elderly pair deceased in a bedroom. There were no signs of injury or trauma on either individual. The couple were in separate beds. Meanwhile, Garda James Hendricks testified that a message was discovered at the entrance stating that if everything had proceeded according to plan, both individuals would have perished inside the dwelling. Coroner Aisling Quilter stated it was evident the married pair had made preparations before their deaths. She delivered a suicide verdict in both instances and extended her sincere sympathies to the bereaved family members, describing it as “a traumatic” case. Sgt Aoife Dolan expressed condolences to the relatives on behalf of the Gardaí, noting it was “very hard” for the family to lose both Phyllis and Tony simultaneously. After the heartbreaking incident, locals remembered Mr Gilbert as being “very talented and artistic.” The couple were described as “very quiet and unassuming.” A private cremation was held at the Island Crematorium in Ringaskiddy, Co Cork. For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters .
