Gardai last night ruled out foul play in the death of a 54-year-old man whose body was found with head injuries in a house in Charleville in north Cork yesterday morning.
The man was found by gardai on the stairs of the house where he lived alone at Kennedy Place at around 10.50 a.m. after they received a phone call to the Garda station.
At first it was thought he may have been fatally injured in a violent struggle.
The scene was preserved after his body was removed to Mallow General Hospital for post-mortem.
However, the post-mortem, carried out yesterday evening by Dr Margaret Bolster, ruled out foul play and gardai now believe he suffered severe head injuries in a fall down the stairs.
Gardai were last night waiting to contact the man's family - some of whom are understood to be living in England - before releasing his name.