A man has been charged over the death of a 73-year-old farmer in Co Waterford on Monday.
He is due to appear before Carrick-on-Suir District Court tomorrow morning.
The farmer, named locally as John Cashman, was found unresponsive with serious injuries following what the Garda described as a fatal assault outside his home at Rockfield, Cappagh, about six kilometres northwest of Dungarvan in Co Waterford.
Emergency services were alerted and paramedics attended to the man at the scene at about 6pm on Monday. They were unable to resuscitate him and he was pronounced dead at the scene by a local doctor.
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The man’s body was removed from the scene at taken to the morgue at University Hospital Waterford in Ardkeen. Gardaí have requested the services of the State Pathologist’s office to carry out a postmortem examination.
Garda sources said the course of their investigation will be determined by what the pathologist finds during the postmortem.
Gardaí arrested the 45-year-old man, who was known to the deceased, at the scene.
He was taken to Dungarvan Garda station for questioning. He is being held under section four of the Criminal Justice Act, which allows gardaí detain suspects for up to 24 hours before they must be charged or released.
Garda technical experts cordoned off the area and preserved the scene, which is between Dungarvan and Cappoquin, for a forensic examination for any DNA or other evidence that might assist them in their investigation.
Gardaí have set up an incident room at Dungarvan Garda station and a senior officer has been appointed to lead the inquiry.
Local Fine Gael councillor Damien Geoghegan paid tribute to Cashman, saying he was well regarded locally in Dungarvan and among the wider agricultural community in the southeast from his involvement in the co-ops over the years.
“John was a good solid farmer, very hard-working and industrious and he would have been very well known for his views and representations during the various mergers between Avonmore and Waterford and later its evolution into Glanbia and Tirlan.
“John ran as an Independent candidate some years back for Waterford County Council so he would be well known. Everyone around here is very shocked and saddened to hear of his death and our thoughts are with his family at this very sad time for them.”
