Dolores O’Riordan drowned in hotel room bath after emptying the minibar

Cranberries singer Dolores O’Riordan accidentally drowned in the bath after a night of heaving drinking in her hotel room, an inquest heard.

The Irish singer was found ‘face up in the bath dressed in her pyjamas’ fully-clothed in the bath of her London Hilton Park Lane hotel room at 9am on 15 January.

The musician, who had battled alcoholism had drunk spirits and champagne and was four times over the legal drinking limit when she died.

The inquest at Westminster Coroner’s Court was held on what would have been her 47th birthday.

There was no evidence or self-harm and no suicide note in her room.

Police found empty miniature alcohol bottles strewn all over the hotel room and discovered the minibar was activated around 2am.

Prescription drugs were also found and the singer had got through a whole pack of cigarettes.

She was found with 330mg of alcohol in her blood.

Ms O’Riordan had abstained from alcohol for most of the last three years but relapsed during a trip to Canada, the court heard.

Her psychiatrist, Seamus O’Ceallaigh, said: ‘There was [alcohol abuse] although Dolores had maintained sobriety over prolonged periods.’

Dr O’Cellaigh told the court that he had last seen Dolores on 9 January and she seemed in ‘good spirits.’

Coroner Dr Shirley Radcliffe said: ‘Dolores O’Riordan was a hugely successful singer with a very supportive family and children; clearly much loved by many people.

‘She had a shortish history of bipolar which she sought treatment for but it would seem she had no significant relapse of mental health.

‘But there was an ongoing problem with intermittent alcohol misuse.

‘On 15 January she was found deceased in her hotel room.

‘There was no evidence that this anything other than an accident.

‘There was no evidence of intention, it seems it was nothing but a solely a tragic accident.’

Police determined her death was not suspicious but an earlier inquest was delayed as ‘various tests’ were required.

The Cranberries shot to international fame with their 1993 debut album Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We? and went on to sell over 40 million records worldwide.

In 2017 The Cranberries announced a tour including dates in Europe, the UK, and the US.

But in May – shortly into the European tour – the group had to cancel the remainder of the European dates as a result of O’Riordan’s health issues.

Dolores had been in London to record a cover version of The Cranberries classic Zombie with the band Bad Wolves – a track which was posthumously released.

Following her death, her boyfriend and D.A.R.K. bandmate Ole Koretsky said ‘the love of my life is gone’.

He said in a statement: ‘My friend, partner, and the love of my life is gone. My heart is broken and it is beyond repair.

‘Dolores is beautiful. Her art is beautiful. Her family is beautiful. The energy she continues to radiate is undeniable.

The cause of her death was found to be drowning due to excessive alcohol consumption.

Dolores was found by the hotel staff in the bath in her pyjamas with her nose and mouth fully submerged.

PC Natalie Smart attended the scene and told the inquest: ‘I saw Mrs O’Riordan submerged in the bath with her nose and mouth fully under the water.;

Three bottles of different prescription drugs were found in the room but there was no sign of abuse.

The singer’s American psychiatrist, Dr Robert Hirschfield, said they last spoke on 26 December last year.

He said in a statement read to the court: ‘She said that she was doing well overall.

‘She wasn’t drinking, little sad on Christmas Day but no thoughts of suicide.’

The court heard how Dolores had written a suicide note in September last year but lost consciousness before completing it.

She last spoke to her Irish psychiatrist, Dr Seamus O’Ceallaigh, on 9 January.

He told the court she was ‘looking forward to the future’ and planned to release two more albums.

Dr Shirley Radcliffe said: ‘There was no evidence of self-harm.

‘She was looking forward to the future, looking forward to her professional life with the release two further albums, plus seeing her family in Canada.’

Coroner Officer, Stephen Earl, described the Irish singer as a ‘loving daughter and dedicated and loving mother.’

Her mother, Eileen, brother PJ, and sister-in-law were in court for the inquest.

mfl