GARDAÍ WERE questioning a man last night following the discovery of a woman’s body at an apartment in Co Laois.
The body of Diane Burroughs (30), a mother of one, was discovered shortly after 8pm in a first-floor flat above a butcher’s shop and auctioneers on Main Street in Mountrath.
Ms Burroughs, who was originally from Dublin, had lived in Castlemitchell, Athy, Co Kildare, with her family for over a decade before moving to Mountrath a number of months ago.
She was in receipt of a disability allowance and lived alone in one of a number of flats rented above the butcher’s shop in Mountrath’s main street.
Her body remained at the flat overnight as members of the Garda Technical Bureau conducted a crime scene examination on Saturday.
Ms Burroughs’s body was removed on Sunday afternoon following a preliminary examination by Deputy State Pathologist Dr Michael Curtis. She was taken to the Midlands Regional Hospital at Portlaoise, where a postmortem was due to take place.
A man in his 30s was arrested in Mountrath on Saturday night in connection with the death.
The man, who lives locally, is being detained and questioned at Portlaoise Garda station under section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984.
Gardaí have yet to announce the cause of death. Some local residents claimed a man had entered a public house on Main Street in Mountrath and made reference to something that had happened at the flat shortly before the arrest.
However, gardaí would not confirm whether any such incident had taken place.
Garda Supt Philip Lyons said the man was arrested in the “general area” on Saturday night.
When contacted yesterday, a member of staff at the pub said staff working on the previous evening were off-duty and unavailable for comment.
Fine Gael councillor Michael Lalor said the local community was shocked.
“I know the people feel very bad about it. It’s terrible for the town which is generally quiet enough,” he remarked.
“She’s not been in Mountrath all that long,” Mr Lalor added. “It’s the talk of the area and everybody is shocked. It has brought big disappointment and sadness around the place.”
Laois-Offaly TD Seán Fleming, who lives 10km away in Castletown, said the death was “tragic for the girl’s family” and “very unfortunate” for the area. The matter was now in the hands of the Garda, he added.