A murder inquiry was under way in Kilkenny city yesterday after the brutal killing of a mother of two.
Ms Christine Quinn (36) was found in the front garden of her home on Thursday evening, after the fire brigade responded to an emergency call.
Firefighters dealt with a small blaze in the house. The victim was found in the garden with extensive injuries to the head and torso. A post-mortem yesterday confirmed she had been murdered.
Gardaí have recovered the weapon they believe was used in the attack, a kitchen knife, and have interviewed a local youth, but no arrests have yet been made.
The death of Ms Quinn, a divorcee and mother of two teenage boys, marks the second family tragedy in two years for her partner, Mr Paul Byrne.
In September 2000, Mr Bryne's brother, Stephen, drove his car off a pier in Co Wexford, drowning himself and his sons Alan (9) and Shane (6), having earlier killed his wife Maeve, also in Kilkenny.
Ms Quinn's murder came as the couple were about to start a new life in England. Their house had already been sold, and they were preparing to move with her younger son, Ronan (14). Ms Quinn's other son, Jason (18), is a member of the Defence Forces.
Yesterday, the house at Greenfields, Freshford Road, Kilkenny, remained sealed off as forensic detectives arrived from Dublin to collect evidence. Emergency staff who had attended the scene on Thursday were said to be deeply traumatised.
They found Ms Quinn lying on her side in her front garden. She had severe injuries to her head and body and had also been slashed across the hands and arms as she tried to beat off the murderer.
An ambulance crew tried in vain to revive her, and she was then rushed by ambulance to the nearby St Luke's Hospital, where she was pronounced dead on arrival.
Her body was later moved to Waterford Regional Hospital, where a post-mortem was carried out by the Deputy State Pathologist, Dr Marie Cassidy.
Ms Quinn's attacker is thought to have started the fire in the house after the murder.
One near neighbour, Mrs Breda Lacey, said she would never forget Thursday evening. She was in the kitchen of her home at Greenfields, opposite the Quinn's house, when she answered the door to a caller who asked her to ring the emergency services.
She made the call and as she came out of her house she saw Mrs Quinn staggering out of her house covered in blood, before falling in the front garden.
Gardaí investigating the case remained tight-lipped at a press conference yesterday. Supt Gordon Ryan, who is heading the inquiry, said no arrests had been made and nobody was in custody. He refused to make any other comment lest it prejudice the investigation.
House-to-house inquiries are continuing and an incident room has been set up at Kilkenny Garda station. Anyone with information can ring a confidential phone number: 056-75076.