Thursday 5 November 2026Compiled from published reports. Every claim links to its source.

Ireland Crime

Every case followed from the first report to the sentence, or to where the reporting stopped.

Case No. 30332Other (death – under investigation) · Co. Mayo · 31 Jul 2021

Two men arrested over death of woman in Westport, County Mayo

The body of Sylwia Adamaczyk, a 40-year-old Polish woman, was discovered in an apartment on Castlebar Street, Westport, County Mayo, in the early afternoon on 31 July 2021. A male relative who had been away on a trip for a number of days found the body and contacted gardaí. Two men, one in his 50s and one in his 30s, were initially arrested and later released without charge, with a file to be prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions. Garda divers searched the Carrowbeg River on 10 August 2021, and the two men were re-arrested on 20 August 2021 and detained at Castlebar Garda Station under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act. A post-mortem has been completed but results have not been released, and investigations remain ongoing.

  1. Reported1 Aug
  2. Arrested31 Jul
    7 reports
  3. Charged
  4. In court
  5. Verdict
  6. Sentenced
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
What happened
  • The body of a woman was discovered in an apartment above a pub in Westport, County Mayo.
  • The deceased was identified as Sylwia Adamaczyk, a 40-year-old Polish national who had been working in the local hospitality industry.
  • A male relative who had been away on a trip for a number of days discovered the body and contacted gardaí.
  • The woman was believed to have been dead for a number of days, possibly dying on Thursday or Friday before being found.
Where
The apartment was on Castlebar Street (also reported as Castlebar Road) in Westport.
When
The body was found in the early afternoon on Saturday, 31 July 2021.
Investigation
  • Two men, one in his 50s and one in his 30s, were arrested in connection with the death.
  • The two men were initially released without charge, with a file to be prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions.
  • The two men were re-arrested on 20 August 2021 and detained at Castlebar Garda Station under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984.
  • A post-mortem was carried out by State Pathologist Dr Heidi Okkers (also reported as Dr Linda Mulligan), and results have not been released for operational reasons.
  • Garda divers searched the Carrowbeg River in Westport on 10 August 2021 to uncover items of evidential value.
  • Detective Supt Joe McKenna is the lead investigator, and investigations remain ongoing.
62 statements extracted from the articles
  • whatA woman's body was discovered at an apartment on Castlebar Street, Westport, County Mayo (garda.ie)
  • whatThe two men are aged in their 50s and 30s (garda.ie)
  • whatA woman's body was discovered at an apartment on Castlebar Street, Westport, County Mayo, on 31 July 2021 (garda.ie)
  • whatThe body of a woman in her 40s was discovered in an apartment. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatThe deceased was Polish. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatThe woman lived with two relatives. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatOne relative, a man, returned home after being away for a number of days on a trip and discovered the body. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatThe man raised the alarm and contacted gardaí when he discovered her remains. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatLocals said the woman had been living in the apartment for some time. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatThe two men arrested are aged in their 50s and 30s. (extra.ie)
  • whatTwo men were arrested in connection with the death of a woman in Westport, County Mayo (rte.ie)
  • whatThe woman was in her 40s (rte.ie)
  • whatThe two men are aged in their 30s and 50s (rte.ie)
  • whatOne suspect is in his 50s and the other is in his 30s. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe deceased is identified as Sylwia Adamaczyk, a Polish national. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe deceased had been working in the local hospitality industry for some time prior to her death. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe woman was a foreign national (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatThe woman was believed to have been dead for a number of days before being found (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatThe woman was aged in her early 40s (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatThe two men are in their 50s and 30s (irishmirror.ie)
  • whereThe body was found at an address above a pub on Castlebar Road in Westport, Co Mayo. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whereThe body was found at an apartment on Castlebar Street in Westport (rte.ie)
  • whereThe woman was found dead in an apartment on Castlebar Street, Westport. (irishtimes.com)
  • whereThe body was found in an apartment on Castlebar Street in Westport (irishmirror.ie)
  • whenThe body was found on Saturday, 31 July 2021 (garda.ie, rte.ie)
  • whenThe body was found on Saturday afternoon, 31 July 2021. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whenIt is believed the woman may have died on Thursday or Friday. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whenThe woman was found on Saturday, 31 July, in a property on Castlebar Street, Westport. (extra.ie)
  • whenShe was found dead in the early afternoon of 31 July. (irishtimes.com)
  • whenThe body was found on 31 July 2021 (irishmirror.ie)
  • investigationTwo men were arrested as part of the investigation (garda.ie)
  • investigationBoth men are detained at Castlebar Garda Station under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984 (garda.ie)
  • investigationA post-mortem on the woman, aged in her early 40s, has been completed (garda.ie)
  • investigationInvestigations are ongoing (garda.ie, irishmirror.ie)
  • investigationTwo men were arrested as part of the investigation into the discovery of the body (garda.ie)
  • investigationThe two men have been released without charge (garda.ie)
  • investigationA file will be prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions (garda.ie)
  • investigationA post-mortem was carried out by State pathologist Dr Linda Mulligan. (irishmirror.ie)
  • investigationThe post-mortem results were not conclusive. (irishmirror.ie)
  • investigationGardaí are investigating all the circumstances surrounding the discovery. (irishmirror.ie)
  • investigationThe scene was still being preserved as gardaí continued to piece together the circumstances. (irishmirror.ie)
  • investigationGarda divers searched the Carrowbeg River in Westport on Tuesday 10 August 2021. (irishtimes.com)
  • investigationThe search was part of ongoing investigations into the death of a 40-year-old woman. (irishtimes.com)
  • investigationDetective Supt Joe McKenna is the lead investigator of the probe. (irishtimes.com)
  • investigationThe search of the Carrowbeg River relates to efforts to uncover items of evidential value. (irishtimes.com)
  • investigationA post-mortem was conducted by State Pathologist Dr. Heidi Okkers, but details have not been released. (irishtimes.com)
  • investigationTwo men were arrested in relation to the discovery of a woman's body at an apartment in Mayo. (extra.ie)
  • investigationInvestigations into the death are ongoing. (extra.ie)
  • investigationBoth men are being detained at Castlebar Garda Station under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984. (extra.ie)
  • investigationA post-mortem on the body of the woman, aged in her early 40s, has been completed. (extra.ie)
  • investigationA post-mortem examination has been completed but results have not been released for operational reasons (rte.ie)
  • investigationThe men are being detained at Castlebar Garda Station under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act (rte.ie)
  • investigationTwo men were arrested in connection with the death of a 40-year-old woman in Westport, Co. Mayo. (irishtimes.com)
  • investigationThe suspects are being held at Castlebar Garda Station under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984. (irishtimes.com)
  • investigationThe suspects can be held for up to 24 hours without charge. (irishtimes.com)
  • investigationGarda divers searched the river which flows through Westport as part of the investigation. (irishtimes.com)
  • investigationA post mortem was carried out by State Pathologist Dr Heidi Okkers. (irishtimes.com)
  • investigationThe details from the post mortem have not been released. (irishtimes.com)
  • investigationThe men are being questioned at Castlebar Garda Station (irishmirror.ie)
  • investigationA post-mortem on the woman's body has been completed (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherThe post-mortem results are not being released for operational reasons (garda.ie, irishmirror.ie, extra.ie)
  • otherShe had been working locally prior to her death. (irishtimes.com)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 20 Aug2021
    Arrestedirishmirror.ie, follow-up
    Two men arrested over discovery of a woman's body in Co Mayo

    First report of the arrest of two men over the discovery of a woman's body in Westport, Mayo; post-mortem completed but results not released.

    victim, early 40s, female, non-irishsuspect, 50s, malesuspect, 30s, male
  2. 20 Aug2021
    Arrestedirishtimes.com, follow-up
    Two men arrested in connection with death of woman in Westport last month

    Two men arrested and held at Castlebar Garda Station under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984; post mortem details not yet released; Garda divers searched the river through Westport.

    victim, Sylwia Adamaczyk, 40, female, Polish, non-irishSylwia Adamaczyksuspect, 50s, malesuspect, 30s, male
  3. 20 Aug2021
    Arrestedrte.ie, its first report
    Two men arrested in connection with Mayo death

    First report of the arrests; post-mortem completed but results withheld for operational reasons.

    victim, 40s, femalesuspect, 30s, malesuspect, 50s, male
  4. 19 Aug2021
    Arrestedextra.ie, its first report
    Two men arrested after body of woman found in Mayo - Extra.ie

    Confirms the two men are detained at Castlebar Garda Station under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984, and that a post-mortem on the woman's body has been completed with results withheld for operational reasons.

    victim, early 40s, femalesuspect, 50s, malesuspect, 30s, male
  5. 10 Aug2021
    Arrestedirishtimes.com, its first report
    Gardaí search Westport river as part of investigation into woman’s death

    Adds details of a Garda dive search of the Carrowbeg River, names Detective Supt Joe McKenna as lead investigator, confirms a post-mortem was conducted by State Pathologist Dr. Heidi Okkers, and notes the body remains at Mayo General Hospital morgue pending funeral arrangements.

    victim, Sylwia Adamaczyk, 40, female, Polish, non-irishSylwia Adamaczyk
  6. 1 Aug2021
    Reportedirishmirror.ie, its first report
    Gardai not ruling out foul play after body of woman found

    Post-mortem by State pathologist Dr Linda Mulligan not conclusive; foul play not ruled out; woman believed to have died Thursday or Friday; a male relative who had been away on a trip discovered the body and raised the alarm.

    victim, 40s, female, Polish, non-irish
  7. 1 Aug2021
    Arrestedgarda.ie, follow-up
    Update - Two Men Arrested in Connection with Discovery of a Body of a Woman, Westport, County Mayo, Saturday, 31st July, 2021

    The two men previously arrested in connection with the discovery of the woman's body have been released without charge. A file will be prepared for the DPP.

    victim, femalesuspect, malesuspect, male
  8. 31 Jul2021
    Arrestedgarda.ie, first report
    Two Men Arrested in Connection with Discovery of a Body of a Woman, Westport, County Mayo, Saturday, 31st July, 2021

    Garda press release confirming the arrest of two men in connection with the discovery of a woman's body in Westport, with a post-mortem completed.

    victim, 40s, femalesuspect, 50s, malesuspect, 30s, male