Man (28) arrested over murder of father of seven attacked at Tralee funeral

Gardaí have arrested a 28-year-old man in connection with the murder of a father of seven who was attacked while attending a funeral in Co Kerry last year.

Detectives arrested the man at an address in Cork city shortly after 10pm on Wednesday for questioning about the murder of Tom Dooley (43) at New Rath Cemetery, Tralee on October 5th.

The man is understood to have been living in the UK since Mr Dooley’s murder and had only recently returned to Cork. He was brought to Tralee Garda station where he is being detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act.

He is the ninth person to be arrested as part of the investigation into the death of Mr Dooley, who was attacked by a group of men while attending the funeral with his wife Siobhán and four of his children.

He was treated in the graveyard by paramedics before being rushed a short distance by ambulance to University Hospital Kerry, where he was pronounced dead.

Three men have been charged over the murder of Mr Dooley, from Hazelwood Drive, Killarney. They include his brother Patrick Dooley (35) of Arbutus Grove, Killarney. The deceased’s cousin, Thomas Dooley (41), and that man’s son, Thomas Dooley Jnr (20), both of Carrigrohane Road halting site in Cork have also been charged with the murder.

A juvenile has also been charged with the murder of Mr Dooley. All four are due to go on trial next May at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin.

Three other men, a 40-year-old arrested in Tralee, a 32-year-old and a 28-year-old, both arrested in Cork city, were questioned by detectives about Mr Dooley’s murder and released without charge.