A number of weapons found in a bog near the home of a Galway murder victim, Mrs Nancy Nolan, are being examined at Garda headquarters.
The weapons, which were found on Wednesday a mile from Mrs Nolan's home, are undergoing forensic tests and are in reasonable condition, according to local gardai.
The weapons are thought to include a hammer which, gardai strongly suspect, was the murder weapon.
Mrs Nolan (81), a mother of six and a former schoolteacher, was found dead in her home early on February 16th with serious head injuries. Her body was found lying face down inside the doorway by a neighbour.
Mrs Nolan was a widow who lived alone. There was no sign of a break-in and groceries were in her car, which was parked in the road outside her home. Two men were arrested the following month by gardai and questioned about Mrs Nolan's death, but were released without charge.
Chief Supt Bill Fennell, who is leading the investigation, said he could not be specific about the kind of weapons found, other than to say one was a blunt instrument.
"We can't say at this stage that any of the items found are the murder weapon. It's just another step in the investigation."
Chief Supt Fennell said he was happy with the progress of the murder hunt over the last two months. "It's slow, painstaking work. We're going through it step by step and we're quite optimistic of a successful outcome."
rosullivan@irish-times.ie
