Man questioned over suspicious death

GARDAÍ were last night due to continue questioning a man in connection with the suspicious death of a woman in Dublin’s south inner city.

Mary O’Rourke, a mother-of-three, died last Sunday after being found unconscious at her daughter’s flat on James Street the previous Friday.

The 48-year-old woman had been assaulted, but it is not yet fully clear whether this led to her death.

The postmortem on her body proved to be inconclusive and gardaí are awaiting the results of further tests and reports.

“We are investigating the death as suspicious, but we have not yet upgraded that. We are still investigating the cause of death,” said a Garda source.

A 49-year-old man was arrested at the scene last Friday when the victim was found unconscious.

He is said to be known to the woman and is considered a suspect.

He was taken to Kevin Street Garda Station and detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act. However, he was taken to hospital on Sunday after he complained of feeling unwell.

He was due to be released from hospital yesterday evening and was expected to be back in Garda custody last night. Detectives were due to recommence questioning.

He is thought to have been drinking last Friday and had recently returned from Britain.

Ms O’Rourke was originally from the nearby Dolphin’s Barn area and had lived in a number of addresses in the south inner city.

She was found in her daughter’s flat.

The flat has been sealed off for examination.