Gardaí have arrested two men in connection with a fatal assault on a father of four in the village of Doneraile in Co Cork.
The body of 44-year-old Barry Daly, who worked as a postman in Mallow. was found at Rockview Terrace in the early hours of Sunday.
The two men, aged 20 and 17, were arrested at an address in Doneraile shortly before 8am for questioning about the assault.
Gardaí believe Mr Daly was attacked by men armed with a golf club after they followed him and his teenage son some 750m from the centre of Doneraile village to their home at Rockview Terrace.
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It is understood the Dalys had been socialising in Eily’s bar in the centre of the village earlier in the night after Doneraile had beaten Ballyclough in the North Cork Junior B hurling final on Saturday.
The two suspects have been taken to separate Garda stations in north Co Cork for questioning. They are being held under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984 which allows gardaí to detain suspects for up to 24 hours before they must be charged or released.
Gardaí believe there was a row outside the bar as the Dalys were leaving at about 1am.
The emergency services were alerted following the assault on Mr Daly as the assailants fled on foot. A team of paramedics were quickly on the scene but were unable to resuscitate him.
Mr Daly was pronounced dead at the scene at about 2am and gardaí cordoned off the area.
Gardaí recovered a golf club, which has been removed for a forensic examination by garda technical experts for DNA or fingerprint evidence.
Assistant state pathologist Dr Margot Bolster carried out a preliminary examination of Mr Daly’s body at the scene before it was removed to Cork University Hospital for a postmortem.
Gardai are expected to upgrade their investigation into the death of Mr Daly to a murder inquiry following the completion of the postmortem.
Detectives have been canvassing the area for CCTV footage and they have begun door-to-door inquiries to see if any one witnessed either the assault on the street or the earlier row in the pub.
A senior investigating officer has been appointed to lead the investigation, and a family liaison officer has also been assigned to provide support to the family of the deceased.
