GARDAI in Cork are treating as murder the death of a 23-year-old woman whose body was found on wasteland near her home at Ballincollig on the outskirts of the city on Thursday. According to Garda sources last night, the preliminary results of a post-mortem examination carried out by the State Pathologist, Dr John Harbison, showed that Ms Rachel Kiely, of Inishmore Square, Ballincollig, had died violently. Further tests will be necessary to determine whether the young woman was strangled or smothered.
??I are awaiting the results of a post-mortem to establish the cause of death of a 23-year-old woman whose body was found on wasteland at Ballincollig, Co. Cork.
Ms Kiely did not return to her home on Thursday afternoon after going out to walk her dogs in a local amenity area.
Dr Harbison examined the body at the scene for some time yesterday before it was removed to the Cork University Hospital where a post-mortem examination was carried out. Members of the Garda Technical Unit joined Cork detectives at the scene which was still cordoned off last night.
An incident room has been established at Gurranabraher Garda Station (Tel: 0214395540). Throughout yesterday, gardai questioned residents in the sprawling Inishmore Estate in an effort to shed some light on the death, which has caused deep shock in the locality.
It is understood that the dead woman, whose body was located in bushes near the amenity area known locally as the Regional Park, had taken her dogs for a walk at about 4.30 on Thursday afternoon. It was quite usual for her to do so and she was seen by building workers who were in the area as she passed.
It has been established that Ms Kiely walked with the dogs towards the river in the more secluded part of the park, which is popular with walkers but usually quiet at this time of year.
When the dogs returned alone two hours later, her mother, Mrs Rose Kiely, became alarmed and went to the park to look for her daughter. Failing to find her, she contacted gardai in Ballincollig and a search began at about 7.30 p.m. Ms Kiely's body was discovered in a crouched position in bushes near a disused house off the pathway.
The Kiely family are members of the Jehovah's Witness community, which has about 200 members in Cork. Elder Javan Andrews said Ms Kiely was well known to the community and much loved by it. News of her death had come "as a terrible shock", and all members of the Witness community were rallying to support her parents, John and Rose, as well as other members of the family, in any way they could.
A trained beautician, Ms Kiely had only recently returned to Cork from Italy, where she had been working as an au pair. She had planned to resume her career as a beautician in Cork.
Relatives and friends of the Kiely family gathered at Inishmore Square yesterday to console the grieving family. One neighbour who joined in the search for the missing woman when the alarm was raised said she couldn't believe that such a young girl had been found dead. " I feel so sorry for the family, they're going through a terrible time. All we can do is be with them and offer our prayers," she added.
Mrs Caroline Duggan, whose children often play in the park, said she would be worried from now on about allowing them to stay out as the evenings got shorter. Father Pat O'Donovan, the local curate, who blessed the remains at the scene, said the population of Ballincollig was predominantly a young one and news of the death had spread sadness throughout the community.