A former Bond girl has been bludgeoned to death after she disturbed an intruder at her home in an exclusive area of north Dublin.
Celine Cawley, 46, who went on to become an award-winning advertising executive and film-maker, was found with serious head injuries on the patio of her multi-million pound family home yesterday morning.
Her husband, Eamonn Lillis, had been out walking the dogs at the time.
Celine Cawley was found with serious head injuries at her home in an exclusive area of north Dublin. She died less than an hour later in hospital
He told police he arrived back at their home in Howth, one of Ireland's most exclusive areas, when he saw a masked raider fleeing.
The mother of one received first aid but died an hour later in Beaumont Hospital. The couple have a 16-year-old daughter who was in school at the time of the killing.
Ms Cawley played a party girl in the 1985 James Bond film A View To A Kill which starred Roger Moore. She was well known in media and advertising circles in Ireland after building her Toytown Films company into one of the country's most high profile production houses.
The firm specialised in making television adverts in Ireland, Britain and across Europe.
Her successes included an ad featuring Roy Keane as a leprechaun in a Walkers crisps promotion launched on St Patrick's Day, 2000.
The mother-of-one appeared in the 1985 James Bond film A View To A Kill starring Roger Moore
She also worked for Guinness, Carlsberg and McDonald's. Her husband is also involved in running the production company.
Detectives said they were keeping a 'very open mind' on the investigation. There was no sign of a break-in and the murder weapon has not been recovered.
Garda spokesman Superintendent John Gilligan said a full murder inquiry was under way.
He said: 'We have a witness that states that a person ran from the back garden of the house into a back lane but we don't know after that where they went.
'The person who was seen running from the area may have discarded the balaclava immediately or kept it on them.'
No one else witnessed the masked man who Mr Lillis said was in his late 20s or early 30s and of slight but strong build.
Superintendent Gilligan said the Garda are fully examining 'all aspects in relation to the discovery of the body and piecing together what happened'.
He said: 'We're keeping a very open mind on the whole situation. We're trying to gather as much information as possible about all the circumstance of this woman's death.'
It is understood that she may have tried to fight off her attacker.
The home remains sealed off as forensic teams examine the site
Mr Lillis said the masked man ran from the back of the house down to the Carrickbrack Road area.
Superintendent Gilligan said: 'There is no description of any car of any type. We know from what we heard, the person who we're looking for ran down the back garden of the house, out on to a laneway and made their way in any direction after that - but in particular in the Windgate Road area and the Carrickbrack Road area.'
The area - known as The Summit - is a quiet residential area with a number of detached properties, many of which have electronic gates and CCTV systems. Investigators are analysing footage in the area as part of their murder inquiry.
Locals in the quiet coastal village yesterday expressed their shock. One resident said: 'It's such a quiet place. It's very safe around here. Everyone is shocked at the news.'
Local councillor Joan Maher said the 'disturbing' killing has shocked the normally quiet area.
'I'm absolutely shocked and stunned. It's horrendous coming up to Christmas. It's an area popular with walkers, around the hill but it's a seriously quiet area. On a Monday morning there would be nobody about.'
The home remained sealed off last night as Garda carried out technical examinations.
It is understood Mr Lillis and his daughter are staying with family.
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