Man remains in custody following death of woman, 47, in Waterford
Local sources have described the street as a very quiet part of the city, with little traffic, with families living there for a long time, although there has been some renting in recent years. File Picture: Colin Keegan/ Collins Dublin
Gardaí are expected to make a decision by the early afternoon on whether or not to upgrade their investigation into the suspicious death of a woman in Waterford City as murder.
A man, aged 34, was arrested on suspicion of assault causing harm shortly after gardaí and ambulance personnel found the body of a woman at a house in the city on Sunday morning.
The woman, an Irish national from Waterford City, appeared to have died in violent circumstances – but gardaí said the cause of her death could not be confirmed until a post mortem was conducted.
The deceased, aged 47, did not live at the house, located on O’Brien Street, in the old part of the city – and was originally from elsewhere in the city.
The man, also an Irish national, is understood to have lived at the house.
The two people were known to each other, but the exact relationship is not clear.
The man is believed to have been arrested at the scene after the discovery of the body.
The post mortem was set for this morning, with its outcome due to be known by around lunchtime.
At this stage, local officers will decide whether or not to launch a full murder investigation.
The house was sealed off after emergency services arrived at 10am and remained closed pending the arrival of the Garda Technical Bureau.
Local sources have described the street as a very quiet part of the city, with little traffic, with families living there for a long time, although there has been some renting in recent years.
A Garda statement issued on Sunday said: “Gardaí are investigating the death of a woman in her 40s following an incident in Waterford City on Saturday, January 25th, 2025.
“Shortly after 10:00am, Gardaí and emergency services responded to an incident at a residence on O’Brien Street, Waterford, where the woman was found unresponsive. She was pronounced deceased at the scene a short time later.”
“A man in his 30s was subsequently arrested in connection with the incident. He is currently detained at a Garda station in the Eastern Region under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984, on suspicion of an offence under the Non-Fatal Offenses Against the Person Act.
“The deceased remains at the scene, which is currently being preserved for examination by the Garda Technical Bureau.”
The statement said that the Office of the State Pathologist and the local Coroner have been notified.
“A post-mortem examination is scheduled for tomorrow morning, Sunday, 26 January," it said. "The findings from the post-mortem will assist Gardaí in determining the course of their investigation.”
It said that a senior investigating officer (SIO) has been appointed to lead the investigation and an incident room has been established at Waterford Garda Station.
A family liaison officer (FLO) has also been assigned to support the family.
Gardaí are appealing for witnesses to contact them and are seeking any available camera footage, including dashcam recordings, from those who were in the vicinity of O’Brien Street at the time of the incident.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Waterford Garda Station on 051 305322 or the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111.
