Found! Family of Kilkenny woman who died alone in the UK

Helpful Kilkenny Facebook members and a resourceful local authority employee have succeeded in finding the family of a lady who died recently in the UK.

Elizabeth Tomlins (née Murphy) who was known as Carmel, died on March 17. Unfortunately Carmel had lived with dementia in the years before her death, had been pre-deceased by her husband and they had no children, so her funeral became the responsibility of the local council.

It was then that Christina Martin, of the Rother and Wealden district councils of East Sussex, on the south east coast of England, sought help from Carmel’s hometown. She posted an appeal on the Kilkenny Down Memory Lane group on Facebook - and within days had made a connection to Carmel’s Irish family.

Carmel was 84 when she passed away in a care home on St Patrick's Day. She was predeceased by her husband Keith and they had no children. In her final years Carmel was in care with dementia. 

Carmel was born Elizabeth Murphy on July 19, 1939, in Kilkenny. The local authority knew little about her younger years or when she moved to the UK.

Together with her husband Keith Tomlins, Carmel ran the now closed Lottbridge Arms in Eastbourne. Before this they are said to have run a series of pubs in Sussex and London. From 2012-2017 she lived in Mountfield Road, Eastbourne, with her husband Keith who predeceased her in 2017.

Carmel died in Hailsham House care home on March 17. A funeral for Carmel will be held at  Wealden Crematorium on 25 June.