Greenock hotel deaths: Mum and daughter funerals

HUNDREDS of mourners brought traffic to a standstill as they paid their last respects to a mother and daughter who died after being found seriously injured at a hotel.
Mourners gather at the funerals of Margaret McDonough and her daughter Nicola in Paisley. Picture: PAMourners gather at the funerals of Margaret McDonough and her daughter Nicola in Paisley. Picture: PA
Mourners gather at the funerals of Margaret McDonough and her daughter Nicola in Paisley. Picture: PA

The bodies of Margaret McDonough, 52, and her daughter, Nicola, 23, were found at the Premier Inn in Greenock, Inverclyde, on the morning of Friday 10 May.

Foster parent Margaret, who was discovered in a bedroom, died first while her social work student daughter, who was found in the hotel hallway, died three days later in hospital, where she had been in a critical condition.

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Events surrounding the deaths of the two women in mysterious circumstances are still being investigated by Police Scotland, who are trying to piece together their last movements.

The funeral for Nicola McDonagh will take place today. Picture: compThe funeral for Nicola McDonagh will take place today. Picture: comp
The funeral for Nicola McDonagh will take place today. Picture: comp

Officers have confirmed they are not looking for anyone else in connection with the deaths.

Funeral-goers said their final farewells at a requiem mass yesterday in the family’s home town of Paisley, where they heard the pair described as people who devoted much of their lives to caring for others.

St Mirin’s Cathedral in the centre of town was packed, with mourners crammed into the large sandstone building.

They included Margaret’s former husband and Nicola’s father Tom; as well as Kevin, Michael and Matthew – Margaret and Tom’s three sons and Nicola’s brothers.

No relatives spoke during the hour-long service but Father John Tormie conducted proceedings and gave a eulogy.

At the request of the family, no members of the media were allowed access inside the church.

However, Father Tormie was said to have spoken of both women as people who dedicated themselves to others throughout much of their lives.

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Although Margaret had four biological children of her own, she had also fostered two young children, he said.

He also told how the family recently discovered that Nicola had passed her BA (Hons) in social work at the University of the West of Scotland.

The part of town where the cathedral is situated was brought to a temporary standstill as the two coffins began the journey to their final resting place, Hawkhead cemetery, also in Paisley.

Traffic was halted by police as the two hearses and two family cars left the cathedral grounds, led by an undertaker walking down the middle of the road.

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