Gardaí have launched a murder investigation after the body of a young woman was found in Dublin city centre yesterday.
The woman's body was discovered by a passer-by on the corner of Mercer Street and Aungier Place at around 4.15am. It was wrapped in a blanket fastened with a piece of rope.
A Garda spokesman said the woman had not yet been identified. An incident room has been set up in Harcourt Terrace station.
Det Supt PJ Browne said a preliminary examination took place at the scene. The body was then brought to the city morgue, where a postmortem was carried out yesterday evening by State Pathologist Dr Marie Cassidy.
Gardaí are investigating the possibility that the body was brought to Mercer Street - possibly dumped from a passing vehicle - after the murder took place elsewhere.
"It seems the body was brought to the spot," Supt Browne said. "It seems unlikely at this stage that the murder took place on Mercer Street."
Mercer Street lies to the west of St Stephen's Green. The pavement where the body was found is overlooked by the four-storey Mercer Street flat complex on one side and the five-storey York Street flats on the other.
After the discovery of the body gardaí diverted traffic and pedestrians during the morning rush hour. There was no access to traffic along Mercer Street Upper from York Street to Cuffe Street, and also from Aungier Place to Mercer Street Upper.
Parts of Mercer Street were cordoned off for the day while members of the Garda Technical Bureau conducted a detailed search of the area. Gardaí requested council workers not to collect refuse so that bins could be examined, while the local postman was also prevented from making deliveries.
Gardaí are appealing to anyone who was in the vicinity early yesterday morning to contact them.
Supt Browne said: "We are appealing to anyone - either pedestrian or vehicle driver - who was in the area to contact us at Harcourt Terrace Garda station on (01) 666 9500."