GARDAÍ IN Galway have opened a murder investigation into the death of a young woman whose body was found in Connemara early yesterday.
The woman, originally from the Czech Republic, was in her early 20s. Her body was found near a stone wall about 20 yards from a house where she had been staying for the past year in Inverin, south Connemara.
A man, also believed to be in his 20s, was being questioned about her death in Mill Street Garda station, Galway city, last night.
He was being held under section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, and his period of detention was extended yesterday evening.
Gardaí received a phone call in the early hours of yesterday morning and discovered the woman's body at about 2am close to a drain at the rear of the property.
The area was sealed off for technical examination. At about 4am, a man was arrested and taken to Mill Street Garda station for questioning.
The woman, known locally as Nicola, had not been named last night as not all relatives had been informed. State Pathologist Dr Marie Cassidy undertook a preliminary examination of her body at the scene yesterday afternoon before it was removed to University College Hospital, Galway for a full postmortem.
Neighbours living near the house, at the end of a boreen off the main Spiddal-Inverin road, said that the woman was "very quiet" and friendly.
It is believed she had been caring for a resident of the house who has a visual impairment. He had been relocated to alternative accommodation yesterday. A friend had come to visit her from the Czech Republic about three weeks ago, and is believed to have been staying in the area.
Gardaí are believed to be following up reports that the woman may have been trying to leave the house after a row.
A Garda forensic team arrived at about midday to carry out a sweep of the area at the modern bungalow. Supt Noel Kelly of Salthill Garda station confirmed at that point that the investigation had been upgraded to murder, and appealed for assistance from members of the public.
Inverin, which is about 25km (15 miles) from Galway city, is one of a number of Gaeltacht areas which accommodates Irish language students during the summer months.
