Deceased English couple in Tipperary

Well I think it's very sad.

@HazeDoll Similar to yourself rural location. English lady living up the hill. No car. When we first arrived she asked us to bring her bits from the farmers shop for her horses. Gave my OH sterling. I brought her something from the town in which I work once. She then asked me to go to another shop a half an hour away in the other direction. I said that I couldn’t and she hasn’t spoken to either of us since. This was years ago now. She has fallen out with all the neighbours progressively and lives alone. She gets delivery’s from the local shop. We’re about 3km from a bus stop and i have never seen her walk to the bus stop or anywhere. She could die tomorrow and I’d say the only person who might notice is the shop. I think it must be very lonely. I rarely see her and she doesn’t say hello. She is a recluse for sure.

Other neighbours are friendly. Everyone gets on grand.

What were the services supposed to do exactly?

You can't help someone who doesn't want to be helped.

That's not "just how it is" I live rurally where I grew up. Most of my friends weren't my friends from school.

Also this has nothing got to do with some people moving to a rural area and then cutting themselves off from everyone including services.

It's a pretty common story down here: English retired couple move in and expect everything to be exactly as it was where they came from and get annoyed with everyone when things are different. Our local Facebook community chat got so bad with them giving out about anybody doing anything like cutting a tree or opening up a gap or mowing silage or building anything or spreading slurry: "What are they doing and how do we stop them?" - that some locals had to start another and leave them to the first page.

It's no surprise that when they tell everyone they're leaving and shut out everyone that nobody goes looking for them.

A lad I know has a saying about them:

Year 1 They're going to be your new best friend.

Year 2 They're complaining about the weather.

Year 3 They're complaining about everything.

Year 4 The house is up for sale and they're gone again.

Seems like a very sad case, whatever went on in the house after they chose to withdraw. But I wouldn't blame the community at all.

Reminds me a bit of that awful case of those reclusive sisters who chose to starve themselves to death in Leixlip around 20 years ago. That was the most horrible story, much worse than this I think, though there are some similarities.

The Joyce Vincent case was so sad, and the film so thought-provoking. I have some concerns I could end up similar myself once retired - though she was so young to be completely disconnected. It certainly wouldnt be intentional for me, but striking the balance between living a solitary and private life as I wish, and not ending up like this purely to avoid creating the drama and hassle for others, is something I wonder about as I get older.