A woman in her 80s found dead at her Co Waterford home yesterday has been remembered as a “kind, caring and generous” person whose loss will be felt by the community for a long time.
The body of Noreen Daly, 81, was discovered at her house in a rural area of Ardsallagh near Youghal Bridge yesterday afternoon, reports RTE.
A man in his 30s has been arrested as part of the investigation into her death.
Ms Daly, a widow, is understood to have lived alone and has been remembered as a kind person and a good neighbour who was heavily involved in the arts, reports RTE.
Gardaà said the results of the post-mortem examination would determine the course of their investigation, with the local coroner and the Office of the State Pathologist notified.
**Community ‘stunned’ by death**
The community of Ardsallagh and the wider area were left “stunned” by news of her death, reports RTE.
In a post on social media, Clashmore and Kinsalebeg Community Council said she was “a kind, caring and generous person,” who loved the wider family she shared with her late husband Michael.
“She was very much involved in the local community and got involved in traditional music, Blackwater Opera Festival, Ardmore Choir, Tai Chi, and Clashmore exercise classes to name just a few,” they added, reports RTE.
The council said Ms Daly had spent much of her time in Ardsallagh since her husband’s death in 2023, and had only this year sold her home in Dublin to live in the area permanently.
“She saw this move as the next stage of her life where she was going to carry on exploring and learning. Every day involved meeting her friends and doing new things,” the council said, reports RTE.
**Daly moved to area eight weeks ago**
Local Fine Gael councillor Pat Nugent, who represents the Dungarvan/Lismore area, said Ms Daly had only moved to the area permanently eight weeks ago, though she had been involved in the local community for some time prior to that.
Councillor Nugent said: “She moved down from Dublin permanently only eight weeks ago, but she had a holiday home, the same house, for the last number of years.
“She was very active, particularly in Youghal Active Retirement Club, and also she was very involved in singing and dancing, and she really loved opera.
“She attended the latest Blackwater Valley Opera Festival. She really loved nature, where she actually lived, she was only 100 meters away from the Blackwater River, and she was looking straight across the river into Ballynatray House,” reports RTE.
The Fine Gael councillor added that there “were no words” to sum up what the local community was feeling.
He said: “For a person to have lived the fullest of life until 80 plus years, and to end up in this tragic situation, there are no words that I can recall, or I can mention that would make it any better for her family, her niece, or nephews,” reports RTE.
Ms Daly’s body has since been removed to University Hospital Waterford, where a post-mortem examination will be carried out.
A Garda Family Liaison Officer has been appointed to support Ms Daly’s family, reports RTE.
The man who was arrested is being held under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act at a garda station in the south eastern region.
It is understood that the man who has been arrested and Ms Daly were known to each other, but they are not related, reports RTE.
Last night, gardaà carried out checkpoints in the area as they searched for an individual of potential interest to their inquiries.
Motorists travelling through the area had been advised to immediately alert gardaà if they saw anyone seeking a lift or walking across fields, reports RTE.
Gardaà are continuing to appeal for any witnesses, particularly anyone who was in the Ardsallagh or Youghal Bridge areas in recent days.
Road users with camera footage, including dash-cam recordings from the area, have also been urged to come forward, reports RTE.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Dungarvan Garda Station on 058 848 600 or the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111.
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