Body found in burning home

GARDAÍ in Kilkenny are today expected to launch a murder inquiry following the discovery of a woman's blood-stained body in her burning home yesterday evening.

Christina Quinn, aged 36, of 2 Greenfields Road, Kilkenny, died at the scene.

Fire and ambulance services, alerted by one of her two sons, arrived to her semi-detached home on a quiet cul de sac close to St Luke's Hospital just after 5pm.

Ms Quinn's remains were taken to St Luke's General Hospital, at approximately 5.30pm and a post-mortem is due to take place at Waterford Regional Hospital.

Damage to the house was minimal.

Gardaí combed the scene for clues and the house has been sealed off pending further investigation.

State Pathologist Dr John Harbison and the garda technical bureau were called in last night. The investigation locally is being headed by Kilkenny city superintendent, Gordon Ryan.

Christina Quinn, nee Connolly, lived with her two sons, Jason, 18, and Ronan, 14. She was separated from her husband Aidan Quinn, an army man.

Ms Quinn worked part time at Hotel Kilkenny.

Stunned co-workers said she was a lovely woman and were shocked to hear of her death.

Ms Quinn's sons were giving witness statements to gardaí last night and shocked neighbours were trying to come to terms with Ms Quinn's death.

It's the first time tragedy has struck the quiet, well-established residential area and neighbours stood outside their homes last night, stunned by the news.

Neighbour Ann Ryan said Christina Quinn was a lovely, soft-spoken woman. She described her as a great neighbour.

Another couple who gathered just down the road from the crime scene said they knew Christina well.

"We'd see her come and go a lot. I don't think she was working at the moment. She lived there with her two sons," they said.

"One of them, the older fella, is in the army. The younger son is still in school," another neighbour said.

Ms Quinn's Toyota starlet hatchback remained parked outside the cordoned off house last night. There was little or no evidence of any external fire damage to the white painted home.

It's the second tragedy to stun the people of Kilkenny this week. Mother of six, Susan Maher, died when her car ploughed off the road close to her home near Callan in county Kilkenny on Monday night.

Mrs Maher travelled to and from Dublin every day to learn sign language so she could communicate with her deaf four-and-a-half year-old son, Bobby.