The death of a father-of-five following a stabbing in a house party in Tralee in Co Kerry on New Year's Eve has brought the number of people to die from violence in Ireland in 2006 to over 60.
Michael Lonergan (34) was fatally injured when he was stabbed several times in the upper body after a row broke out during a get-together at his family home at Baloonagh Estate, Tralee, shortly before 7pm on December 31st.
Family members raised the alarm and Mr Lonergan was taken by ambulance to Kerry General Hospital in Tralee where he underwent emergency surgery. He died from his wounds at about 10.30pm.
Gardaí arrested a 31-year-old man shortly before 8pm outside the two-storey end-of-terrace house which is a cul de sac in the estate off the Spa Road.
The man was arrested under the provisions of Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act and taken to Tralee Garda station for questioning.
Gardaí launched a murder investigation and cordoned off the house overnight for a detailed forensic examination by members of the local technical bureau attached to the Kerry Garda Division.
Gardaí believe Mr Lonergan was stabbed with a kitchen knife and they were last night continuing to search for the weapon which they believe was disposed of shortly after the stabbing.
Detectives believe there were about 10 people in the house at the time and yesterday they began taking statements from some of these, including some relatives of the dead man, in the hope of establishing a clear picture of what happened.
However, a Garda source said officers were still at a preliminary stage in terms of clarifying statements from those in the house and it was not clear whether the stabbing had been witnessed by any of the occupants.
Officers also began door-to-door inquiries in the estate yesterday morning in the hope of obtaining further information about what happened before and after the stabbing and whether anyone noticed anything of evidential value.
Gardaí also requested the services of the State Pathologist's office and yesterday the Assistant State Pathologist, Dr Margaret Bolster, carried out a postmortem examination on Mr Lonergan's body at Kerry General Hospital.
Gardaí did not disclose precise details of Dr Bolster's findings but it is understood that her postmortem confirmed that Mr Lonergan suffered a number of stab wounds to the upper chest, including one under his arm which proved fatal. Mr Lonergan, who was unemployed, was a father of five. The eldest of the children is 15, youngest four, and it is understood that some of them were in the house at the time their father was stabbed.
