Man arrested after mother-of-two dies in Cork house fire

The 27-year-old woman has been named.

The victim has been names locally as Daena Walsh - a mother-of-two who lived at an apartment in John Barry House off the Main Street in the town.

A spokesperson from An Garda Síochána told JOE: "Gardaí in Midleton are investigating all of the circumstances surrounding the death of a woman in her 20s following an incident at a domestic residence in Midleton, County Cork, on Friday, 2nd August 2024.

"Shortly after 4:15 pm, Gardaí and Emergency Services responded to reports of an incident at an apartment off Main Street, Midleton. The woman was found at the scene with serious injuries and received emergency medical treatment but was pronounced deceased short time later.

"A man in his 30s has been arrested and is currently detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984, at a Garda Station in the Southern Region.

"The scene has been preserved for examination by the Garda Technical Bureau. The local Coroner and the Office of the State Pathologist have been notified."

Firefighters also attended the scene yesterday, as Gardai discovered that a section of the property had been set alight.

The fire was brought under control shortly after 5pm.

Passers-by captured footage which appears to show smoke emanating from the roof of the building.

#CorkTraffic Reports of a fire at a premises on Main Street/Connolly Street, Midleton. Emergency services are on scene. Take care on approach. pic.twitter.com/zdCvxEGv1O

— Cork Safety Alerts (@CorkSafetyAlert) August 2, 2024

The statement from An Garda Síochána added: "Gardaí are appealing for witnesses to come forward. Additionally, they are appealing to those with camera footage, including dashcam recordings from motorists in the Connolly Street / Main Street areas of Midleton this afternoon.

"Anyone with information is asked to contact Midleton Garda Station at 021-462 1550 or the Garda Confidential Line at 1800 666 111."