Gardaí are treating as suspicious the death of a young mother of three in Tralee, Co Kerry.
The woman's body was discovered shortly before 11 a.m. yesterday in a tidal stream at Kearney's Bridge, some two miles west of the town, by a man walking his dog.
The woman, who was named locally as Ms Elizabeth McCarthy (30), of Cois Coille, Tralee, was married and a member of the settled Traveller community. She was last seen on Monday at a cousin's wedding at the local Earl of Desmond Hotel.
According to locals who knew her, she was a quiet woman and a devoted mother to her children, aged 8, 6 and 2.
"She was a lovely girl, very quiet and doting on her family," according to a relative.
The dead woman was a distant relative of Michael Faulkner, who was murdered near his home in Tralee in late August. However, gardaí said there was no connection between the deaths.
Gardaí immediately sealed off the scene yesterday for technical examination. After some hours the woman's body was removed to Kerry General Hospital. Dr Margaret Bolster, Assistant State Pathologist, was last night carrying out post-mortem examination on the body.
Gardaí were said to be suspicious of the woman's death, whose body showed signs of injury.
The body was found in the water of the Finglas stream, which can reach considerable depths, according to gardaí.