Gardaí who are investigating the discovery of the body of a newborn baby boy in a house near Dunmanway in west Cork are awaiting the results of a post-mortem today to try and establish if the baby was stillborn.
Officers were alerted after the parents of a young woman discovered the decomposed body wrapped in clothing in an annexe off a bathroom in their house in the area at about lunchtime yesterday.
Garda technical experts sealed off the house and carried out a preliminary examination of the scene.
Following consultation with the Garda Technical Bureau in Dublin, they requested the services of the Assistant State Pathologist, Dr Margaret Bolster.
Dr Bolster carried out a preliminary examination of the body at the scene before it was removed to Cork University Hospital where she will carry out a full post-mortem today.
Detectives believe the body was in the house for over a week as the woman who they believe is its mother checked into hospital a week ago for psychiatric treatment.
The woman's parents were shocked by the discovery and were being comforted by relatives yesterday.
"They're in a terrible state. They had no idea that their daughter was pregnant and they're very worried and concerned about her welfare," said a local source.
A Garda spokesman said: "We are handling the matter with great sensitivity given its delicate nature and our desire to protect the privacy of the family and the woman at the centre of this sad and tragic case."
