A 12 year old boy yesterday discovered his mother's body lying in a pool of blood in her flat in Tralee, Co Kerry.
There were a number of severe wounds to the body which Garda sources say could have been inflicted by a knife or other sharp instrument.
After the alarm was raised shortly before lunchtime, gardai under Inspector Barry O'Rourke sealed off the flat at McCowen's Lane in the centre of the town.
The dead woman, who is a native of Tralee, was in her 40s and married but separated. She was the mother of three children.
Gardai were last night withholding her identity until relatives had been informed.
The dead woman's husband was not aware of his wife's death until late last night when he returned to Tralee from a weekend break in Mosney, Co Meath.
Inspector O'Rourke said that the death was being treated as suspicious.
No decision on whether to upgrade the inquiry to a full scale murder investigation would be taken until the State Pathologist, Dr John Harbison, had completed his initial examination of the body at the scene, Inspector O'Rourke said.
It is understood that a decision on whether to formally begin a murder hunt will be taken this morning.
Dr Harbison arrived in Tralee from Dublin by train last night. Following a briefing by he went to the scene and conducted an examination. He will carry out a post mortem examination of the body today.
The dead woman was well known in Tralee and lived on her own in the upstairs flat above Stanley's Bookmakers, overlooking Castle Street. The flat had an entrance off McCowen's Lane. It is understood that she had occupied the flat for about a year.
Gardai are attempting to trace her movements over the weekend. The last reported sighting of her was on Saturday evening. Anyone with information is asked to contact Tralee gardai (066-22022).