Dolores O’Riordan Died by Drowning Due to Alcohol Intoxication
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The Cranberries lead singer Dolores O’Riordan died by drowning due to alcohol intoxication, an inquest at Westminster Coroner’s Court has heard.
The inquest coincided with the day that would have been Dolores O’Riordan’s 47th birthday.
In a statement issued after the hearing, the band said: “Dolores will live on eternally in her music.”
Dolores O’Riordan, who died suddenly on January 15 at the age of 46, was found submerged in the bath in her room at a London’s Park Lane Hilton hotel.
She died as a result of a “tragic accident”, the coroner said.
The singer had no injuries or evidence of self harm, and had drunk an excessive amount of alcohol, expert witnesses said.
Dolores O’Riordan had been in the Park Lane Hilton hotel as part of a recording trip ahead of a 2018 tour.
Dolores O’Riordan Death: Cranberries Lead Singer Dies Aged 46
PC Natalie Smart, who attended the scene, told the inquest: “I saw Mrs. O’Riordan submerged in the bath with her nose and mouth fully under the water.”
The inquest heard that there were empty bottles in the room – five miniature bottles and a bottle of champagne – as well as containers of prescription drugs with a quantity of tablets in each container.
Toxicology tests showed only “therapeutic” amounts of medication in Dolores O’Riordan’s blood, but showed up 330mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood – meaning she was more than four times over the 80mg legal limit for driving.
The inquest was attended by Dolores O’Riordan’s mother, brother and sister-in-law. She split from her husband of 20 years, Don Burton, in 2014.
Dolores O’Riordan and Don Burton, who is the former tour manager of Duran Duran, have three children together.
The inquest heard that Dolores O’Riordan checked into the hotel on January 14 and was in touch with room service at around midnight and phoned her mother at around 3AM.
The singer was later found unresponsive in the bathroom and confirmed dead at 9.16AM.
The inquest heard that Dolores O’Riordan had bipolar disorder but responded well to treatment.
The hearing was also told that Dolores O’Riordan went through periods of abstention and periods of excessive drinking.