Appeal in mother-of-two murder case

Gardaí renewed their appeal for information today into the murder of mother-of-two Rachel O’Reilly at her home in north Co Dublin.

Balbriggan gardaí have called for any taxi drivers, hackneys and delivery drivers who were in the rural Baldarragh area in Naul last Monday to contact them.

Investigating officers also asked anyone who may have been walking or working on farms in the general region to come and talk to them.

A post mortem revealed the 30-year-old died after she was beaten on the head with a blunt instrument.

Gardaí said items were disturbed in the house which could indicate a possible burglary and family members were being consulted to identify if goods were missing.

A murder weapon was not located at the scene and gardai have been searching the area, as well as carrying out door-to-door inquiries.

Officers also mounted morning checkpoints to interview regular motorists in the area and said many people had come forward to try to assist them.

Around 35 gardaí including detectives from the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation and officers from nearby Dundalk and Ashbourne Garda stations have also joined the murder investigation, which is being headed by Supt Tom Gallagher of Balbriggan Garda station.

Ms O’Reilly was last seen around 9.30am on Monday as she left her two young children to the nearby national and Montessori schools.

The 30-year-old’s body was discovered by her mother at her home after she failed to return to the Montessori school to collect her youngest child at lunchtime.