Woman arrested over death of young mother at Dublin house party

A young woman has tonight been arrested by gardaí investigating the death of mother of one at a house in Dublin.

The body of Bernadette Brigid Cash (20) was discovered in the living room of a house on Warrenstown Walk, Blanchardstown, just after 10.30am.

Ms Cash, who was separated from her husband and a member of the Travelling community, had what one source described as “obvious head injuries”. Gardaí believe she was attacked during a party in the property and died as revelers fled the scene.

The Garda investigation is now focused on trying to establish how many people were still at the house when the dead woman was attacked and when those people left the scene.

A woman, who is also in her 20s, was arrested tonight and is being detained at Blanchardstown Garda station under section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984.

Earlier, Supt Dave Taylor said the investigating team was keen to trace anyone who was in the house at any time from yesterday afternoon to this morning when the victim's body was found.

“Anyone who may have been there or even saw people coming and going can come forward and speak to us in confidence,” he said.

The dead woman’s 2-year-old child was not at the house when its mother was killed and was instead staying with its grandmother at another address in Blanchardstown.

The scene was sealed off immediately after the body was found this morning.

Deputy State Pathologist Dr Michael Curtis carried out a preliminary examination at the scene before the remains were removed for a full post mortem at James Connolly Memorial Hospital in Blanchardstown.

The post mortem was ongoing this evening.

The house remains sealed off tonight and members of the Garda Technical Bureau spent the day forensically examining the property and the searching the streets surrounding it.