GARDAÍ ARE investigating the death in Enniscorthy, Co Wexford, of a 37-year-old man whose body was discovered yesterday morning in an apartment building at Carrigtur, Springvalley.
The man was well known in the area and the news of his death came as locals prepared to watch the royal wedding on television.
He was named by neighbours as Paddy Connors, a separated father of two who lived in Armstrong’s Range, a short distance from where he died.
Gardaí were notified of Mr Connors’s death at about 8.30am.
A man in his 30s was arrested at the scene and detained at Enniscorthy Garda station under section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act.
The apartment building was sealed off as gardaí awaited the arrival of the State Pathologist.
At midday yesterday, a family living in one of the apartments was evacuated through a rear window of the building by a unit of Enniscorthy Fire Brigade, to prevent any disturbance to the investigation scene.
Garda forensic officers entered the block of rented apartments which were originally built as independent living units beside a former nursing home.
Investigating gardaí began carrying out door-to-door inquiries yesterday evening.
Mr Connors was the youngest son of John and Elizabeth Connors of Killagoley, Enniscorthy and is survived by his parents; his daughters Chantelle (8) who is due to make her First Holy Communion in May, and Anne (2), and by his six sisters and three brothers.
He was predeceased by his brother Michael who died 13 years ago.
Mr Connors’s brother Jim said the family was “shocked” by his death and said he was “a good father who looked after his kids well”.
Another brother, Gerry, who lives adjacent to the house where Mr Connors resided in Armstrong’s Range, said he received a worrying telephone call from a brother-in-law yesterday morning and went next door to check if his brother was okay but he wasn’t there.
“I went to the Garda station and they told me my brother was dead. At that stage, the gardaí were on their way to my father and mother’s place. I tried to rush up to tell them before the gardaí got there,” he said.
“The whole family is devastated about what happened. It’s an awful shocking thing,” he added.
At the busy Centra supermarket across the street from the apartment block, a shop assistant said: “I knew him from coming into the shop. I always found him grand. It’s a terrible thing.”
Local resident Bridget O’Brien described the Connors family as “decent, church-going people”.