Gardaí in Limerick were last night questioning a 23-year-old man about the death of a mother of two whose body was found in a city hotel at the weekend.
Sylvia Roche-Kelly (33), a gallery owner living in Sixmilebridge, Co Clare, was found in a bath in a bedroom at the Clarion Hotel on Saturday morning.
Gardaí are satisfied that she was assaulted before she died.
Since her death, detectives have been anxious to speak to a man from Co Tipperary who checked into the room where Ms Roche Kelly was found.
He was caught on CCTV cameras leaving the hotel on the morning before her body was discovered.
Over the past number of days gardaí have liaised with the man's family in a bid to trace his whereabouts. It had been rumoured that he had fled the jurisdiction.
However, gardaí confirmed last night that he was arrested in Co Tipperary at about 6pm and brought to Henry Street Garda station in Limerick. He can be held for questioning under section 4 of the Non Fatal Offences Against the Persons Act for a maximum of 24 hours.
Large crowds of mourners are expected at the funeral today of Ms Roche-Kelly, who will be buried after 11am Mass at the Little Church in Sixemilebridge.
Members of the arts community in Limerick paid tribute to the late gallery owner yesterday and recalled how she had attended an art exhibition in the city just days before her death.
"She was in great form and signed the visitors book, we are all just devastated. She was a wonderful person and a good friend to all of us," said one artist.
Ms Roche-Kelly is survived by her husband Lorcan and their children Shane (12) and Aisling (4).