Man arrested over death of Miriam Burns in Co Kerry last year

Woman in her 70s was found dead in unexplained circumstances at her home in Killarney in August 2022

Gardaí investigating the death of Miriam Burns in Co Kerry last year have arrested a man for questioning.

Ms Burns (75), a mother of four and a grandmother, was found dead at her home on the Ardshanavooly housing estate in Killarney on August 15th, 2022, after a relative living overseas became concerned and made contact with people in Co Kerry.

Gardaí were alerted and cordoned off the scene and Ms Burns’s body was removed to University Hospital Kerry where a postmortem was carried out.

Gardaí did not disclose the results of the postmortem for operational reasons, but it is understood it confirmed that Ms Burns had died a violent death.

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A man in his 50s was arrested on Wednesday morning in Cork’s northside in connection with her death. He was taken to Mayfield Garda station where he is detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984, which allows suspects to be held for up to 24 hours.

Gardaí believe Ms Burns was assaulted in her home, where her body lay undiscovered for several days before she was found. It is also suspected she knew her killer and let them into her home, with no signs of any break-in at her house.

Ms Burns was remembered as a glamorous woman and also a “force of nature” by her daughter Sharon during a memorial service at St Mary’s Cathedral in Killarney last year. Sharon said her mother was known locally as the “beautiful smiling lady on the bike”.

Barry Roche

Barry Roche

Barry Roche is Southern Correspondent of The Irish Times