Gardaí were alerted just after 8am on Wednesday, 21 October, after a man in his 30s and a woman in her 40s were found dead at a house on Old Connaught Avenue.
Gardaí suspect foul play, and the Irish Times reports they believe violence was a factor, though no evidence yet shows a third party was involved.
State Pathologist Dr Sally Anne Collis will carry out post-mortem examinations over Wednesday evening and Thursday, 22 October, and their outcome will guide the probe.
Gardaí were alerted shortly after 8am on Wednesday, 21 October, to a residential property on Old Connaught Avenue in the Cois Cairn estate on the northern edge of Bray. Both people were pronounced dead at the scene. The man, in his 30s, was found outside the house, while the woman, in her 40s, was found in an upstairs room. The Irish Independent reports that the two were known to each other and lived on the same estate, and that blood was found inside the property, although no weapons had been located at that early stage.
Gardaí have preserved the scene for a technical examination by the Garda Technical Bureau, and a large blue forensic tent was set up in front of two small bungalows in a cul de sac. The bodies were removed in two ambulance vans shortly after 3pm to the morgue at Whitehall for post-mortem examinations.
A senior investigating officer leads the case from an incident room at Dún Laoghaire Garda Station, and the Serious Crime Unit is supporting the inquiry. State Pathologist Dr Sally Anne Collis is due to carry out the post-mortem examinations across Wednesday evening and Thursday, 22 October.
In its statement, An Garda Síochána made clear that the findings will shape what happens next.
“The outcome of the post-mortems will assist gardaí in determining the course of the investigation.”
The Irish Times reports that gardaí believe violence played a part in the deaths. Its sources also said that gardaí have yet to find evidence that anyone else was present or that a third party was involved, and stressed that the inquiry is at a very early stage. Sources told the paper that a homicide inquiry's resources now back the investigation. RTÉ said the man may have died violently, and the Irish Independent says gardaí suspect foul play.
Councillor Malachaí Duddy, who chairs Bray Municipal District, said the deaths had left the area in shock and described Bray as a place known for its strong sense of community. He told BBC News NI about the tragedy.
“It's a very sad day and it's a tragedy.”
Duddy extended his condolences to the family and urged anyone with information to contact gardaí. Sinn Féin TD for Wicklow John Brady described a profound sense of disbelief in the area and said the situation was devastating. He told the Irish Examiner that those involved were well known locally and that extended family also live nearby. Councillor Ian Neary called the incident "an absolute shock to the system" and urged residents to stay calm until the full facts are known.
The Irish Examiner reports that the deaths came almost a decade after the woman's family suffered a fire tragedy. On 8 March 2017, a fire broke out at an apartment in a supported accommodation complex run by Sonas Housing in Clondalkin, west Dublin, killing four people, including two young children. The woman was the sole survivor and suffered serious burns. An inquest in 2018 heard the fire was probably caused by a tea light or candle that set a television alight, and the coroner recorded accidental death verdicts.
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Gardaí suspect foul play in the deaths of a man in his 30s and a woman in her 40s, who were found at a house in Bray on Wednesday, 21 October. Both were pronounced dead at the scene, and no weapons had been located at an early stage.
AI text based on reports by BBC, Irish Examiner, The Irish Times and other publishers. Published .