A man in his 60s has been arrested after an elderly woman well-known to him was found fatally injured at her home.
The woman, aged in her 80s, was assaulted late last night at the house in Kincora Court in Clontarf, Dublin.
She was pronounced dead at the scene.
It is believed that the arrested man did not live at the same address but did live nearby.
And it is also believed that he had mental health issues.
He is currently being detained in Clontarf Garda Station.
Locals peered from behind curtains as a single Garda officer stood outside the scene this morning.
A member of the Garda Technical Bureau combed the scene for much of the morning before leaving around 12pm.
The red-brick houses are located in a quiet cul-de-sac just off the Clontarf Seafront.
A Toyota Auris that is believed to belong to the deceased remained parked outside the house, cordoned off by police tape.
Rosary beads and a small statue of Mother Mary sat on the dashboard of the car.
A local said: “It’s a total shock, it’s such a quiet area.
“My wife told me this morning and we just couldn’t believe it.
“We didn’t hear anything last night but I noticed the tape this morning and saw the news.
“It goes to show it can happen anywhere.”
He also added that the arrested man regularly visited the house and he often saw him “coming and going."
A Garda spokesperson told Dublin Live: "Gardaí are currently at the scene of a fatal assault which occurred at a house in Kincora Court, Clontarf, Dublin 3 this evening, Sunday 23rd August 2020.
"A female, age currently unknown, received fatal injuries as a result of the incident. Her body remains at the scene. The scene is currently preserved and the State Pathologist has been notified.
"A male, aged in his 60s, was arrested at the scene and is currently detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984 in Clontarf Garda Station.
"Investigations are ongoing."
It is the second fatality in Clontarf due to assault in recent weeks.
A man in his 20s died after an assault in the St Lawrence Road area early on August 13th.
