GARDAI are continuing to question a man after a young mother-of-two was found dead when officers forced entry to a house in Co Donegal.
An aspiring actress and model, Jasmine McMonagle (27) was pronounced dead at the scene at Forest Park in Killygordon in east Donegal yesterday morning.
Her two daughters, aged seven and one, were also in the house at the time. Gardai are believed to be investigating the possibility that Ms McMonagle died from stab wounds.
It is understood that officers were called to the house around 4am yesterday but were unable to gain entry. A Garda Regional Response Unit was called in and forced its way into the house where Ms McMonagle's body was found. A man, aged in his twenties, was arrested at the scene and taken to Letterkenny Garda station.
Ms McMonagle was originally from Castlefin, also in east Donegal, but had been living in Killygordon where one of her daughters attended school. Ms McMonagle's children were taken from the family home yesterday morning into the care of their grandparents.
The area around her home remained sealed off yesterday while the Republic's deputy state pathologist, Linda Mulligan carried out preliminary investigations. Dr Mulligan was expected to conduct a post mortem examination at Letterkenny general hospital last night.
Garda inspector, Michael Harrison confirmed officers were investigating the circumstances surrounding Ms McMonagle's death.
Inspector Harrison said: "A man in his twenties has been arrested and is currently being detained under the terms of Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984. At this stage of the investigation I'm not in a position to answer any further questions or make any more statements."
There was widespread shock as news of Ms McMonagle's death spread through the normally quiet village of Killygordon which is on the main road between Strabane and Ballybofey. Fianna Fáil councillor, Patrick McGowan, who lives just yards from the scene, said people were very distressed.
"There's certainly been nothing like this in Killygordon in living memory. While I did not know the young woman personally, I have seen her around the village. It happened in a fairly new estate where people did not really know each other," Mr McGowan said.
Sinn Féin councillor, Gary Doherty extended his condolences to the dead woman's family.
"The sense of shock is tangible. The horror of the thought that this young woman's two children where in the house when she died is hard to describe," Mr Doherty said.
