Gardaí have opened an investigation after a woman was found dead in west Co Waterford. The discovery was made at a residence at Ardsallagh near Youghal Bridge on Monday afternoon. The deceased is believed to have been in her 80s. The force said the coroner and the Office of the State Pathologist had been notified and the services of the Garda Technical Bureau had been requested.A postmortem is to be carried out and the results will assist in determining the course of the investigation into the woman’s death.“Shortly after 2pm, gardaí were alerted to the discovery of the body of a woman, believed to be in her 80s, at a residential property in the rural area of County Waterford at Ardsallagh near Youghal Bridge,” An Garda Síochána said in a statement.“The woman was pronounced deceased at the scene, which is currently preserved for forensic examination.”A senior investigating officer has been appointed to lead the investigation and an incident room has been established at Dungarvan Garda station, the statement added. A family liaison officer has also been appointed to support the woman’s relatives.Gardaí are appealing for witnesses, in particular those who were in the Ardsallagh or Youghal Bridge areas in recent days, to come forward. Anyone with information or camera footage, including dashcam recordings, that could help the investigation is asked to contact Dungarvan Garda station on (058) 848600 or the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111.