Gardaí in north Tipperary have arrested a known suspect following the rape of a 74-year-old woman in Nenagh over the weekend.
The suspect, who is local and in his teens, was questioned last night in relation to the assault which occurred in the early hours of Sunday morning.
He is well known to gardaí in the town and is believed to have previously spent time in prison.
The pensioner was subjected to the ordeal when the man broke into her home in the Hamilton Drive estate in the early hours of Sunday morning and threatened to kill her before viciously attacking her.
The attacker spent a number of hours in the house. The alarm was raised when the victim managed to contact members of her family.
Gardaí and emergency services were called to the house at approximately 3.40am and the woman was taken to Nenagh hospital. She is currently in the care of her family.
Locals in the tightly-knit community have expressed shock and revulsion at the incident which has struck fear into Nenagh residents. "It's such a horrific thing for this poor woman. She must have gone through an awful ordeal. I just hope the person that did this awful thing is caught as soon as possible," a neighbour of the victim said.