A 31-year-old man who denied stabbing his partner to death has been sentenced to life imprisonment for her murder.
Ms Justice Siobhan Lankford said Adam Corcoran's actions "were truly horrific".
Corcoran had pleaded not guilty to murdering 27-year-old Daena Walsh at John Barry House, Connolly Street, Midleton on 2 August 2024.
He also pleaded not guilty to arson at the same address on the same date.
But following an eight-day trial at the Central Criminal Court in Cork, the jury of eight men and four women unanimously found him guilty of murder and of arson.
Corcoran had initially claimed that Ms Walsh had taken her own life, but under cross-examination in the witness box he admitted he had killed Ms Walsh but he said he did not remember doing it.
The mother-of-two was found with 25 stab and slash wounds and a partially amputated left arm in the burning apartment.
Corcoran had also denied starting the fire by putting aerosol cans on the cooker.
When the verdicts were read out today, Corcoran gave no reaction.
'A conscious violent act with no mercy or humanity' - Daena Walsh's brother Callum
Speaking afterwards, Ms Walsh's family said they wanted her to be remembered as a lovely mother and caring woman whose life was taken in a most violent and senseless way.
Her brother Callum said Ms Walsh was a loving daughter, sister and friend.
"She should be here today raising her two children. Instead, because of the brutal and deliberate actions of Adam Corcoran, they have been left without their mother for the rest of their lives.
"What was done to Daena was not just cruel, it was savage. It was a conscious, violent act carried out with no mercy, no humanity and no regard for the life of a woman who meant everything to her children and to us."
He said it was "cruelty upon cruelty" to have to listen to Corcoran's lies during the trial.
"What was done to Daena was evil; it has torn our family apart and done damage that can never be repaired.
"We are very happy with the outcome of the sentence", Callum added.
Sentencing Corcoran this afternoon, Ms Justice Lankford said Corcoran's actions "were truly horrific".
"A young mother, Daena Walsh died as a result of a frenzied attack", she said.
Pathology showed she had been stabbed in her face, abdomen, chest and neck, causing her death.
"It was clear that she had fought for her life."
Ms Justice Lankford said after abandoning his attempt to dismember her, he set a fire, putting the lives of people in the building, in Midleton, as well as gardaí and first responders, "in real danger".
She said his assertion that she had taken her own life added to the distress of her family and children.
"It may be of some consolation (to the family) that he accepts he killed her and she didn't die by suicide."
"Daena was a loving daughter, sister and mother," she said.
"She had many people in her life who loved her", Ms Justice Lankford said, before imposing a sentence of life imprisonment on Corcoran for Ms Walsh's murder.
Ms Justice Lankford sentenced him to 15 years in prison to run concurrently for the arson, given it had placed many lives at risk, adding it had been brought under control "thanks to the sterling work of the fire service and gardaí".
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Earlier, Ms Walsh's brother Callum, accompanied by their older brother Paul, carrying a photograph of Ms Walsh, gave a victim impact statement in court on behalf of the family.
In it, he called Corcoran's actions "demonic and horrific", saying her life was "taken too soon and too young, and now two boys are left without their mother, Daena Walsh".
He said the effect of her murder on the family has been profound.
"There will always be an empty space in our home and in our lives - a sense that something precious is missing that can never be replaced."
He said the greatest loss will be to her two children, whom she will never be able to "watch them grow, guide them or share in the many milestones of their lives".
He asked that Ms Walsh be remembered for who she truly was: a loving mother, daughter, sister and friend. She was well known for her colour hair and mad lipstick colours. She was a thoughtful, kind and caring person whose life was taken from her in a cruel and violent way, the court heard.
Defence Counsel Brendan Grehan SC said his client accepted the verdicts of the jury and had asked him to express to his sons and Ms Walsh's family "his deepest regret, remorse and sorrow for causing the death of Daena, whom he loved very much".
