Four youths arrested by gardai in south Dublin yesterday in connection with the killing of a student, Mr Brian Murphy, who was kicked to death outside a Dublin disco last month, were released last night after questioning.
A file on the killing is being prepared by detectives in Donnybrook and will be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Gardai investigating the killing of Mr Murphy (18), called at houses in Dalkey, Killiney, Foxrock and Donnybrook between 6.40 a.m. and 7 a.m. yesterday and arrested the youths. All four are aged between 18 and 19 and are former pupils of Blackrock College.
They finished school this year and had been attending an end-of-summer disco at Anabels disco in the basement of the Burlington Hotel on August 31st.
It is understood that at least two of the youths had already volunteered to make statements to detectives in the days after the killing and went to Donnybrook Garda station accompanied by parents and lawyers.
All four were arrested under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, which allows gardai to question suspects in serious crimes for 12 hours. They then must be charged or released. i say there is little indication that suspects will abscond so they could be released.
Detectives at Donnybrook are expected to complete the investigation in the coming weeks and will then forward their findings to the DPP, who will decide whether to bring charges.
Brian Murphy, who had attended Gonzaga College, is understood to have become involved in an argument with two youths outside the disco and a fight began. According to post-mortem results, he died from serious head injuries.
Garda sources said there had been disturbances during the evening between youths from rugby-playing colleges during the disco. There was no indication that Mr Murphy, who did not play schools rugby and who had left Gonzaga College a year earlier, had been involved in any of the disputes inside the disco.
Sources close to the investigation say most of the violence during the evening was between youths from Blackrock College and their principal rugby rival, Clongowes Wood. During the investigations at least two pupils at Clongowes were questioned.
Since the killing, detectives working from the incident room in Donnybrook station have questioned students from rugby-playing schools who were in disputes on the evening or who witnessed fighting.
Security staff at the disco stopped fighting from breaking out inside the disco but had to remove at least one youth who had become violent. During the evening the bar was selling alcohol at reduced prices as part of a promotion.
Statements taken by gardai from students at the disco include remarks about large amounts of beer and spirits being consumed by some of the young people present.
Meanwhile, detectives at Terenure Garda station are continuing inquiries into the death of Mr David Langan (19), from Castleknock, Dublin, who also died from injuries he received after being assaulted after another disco in Dublin on August 25th.
Investigations have shown that he died from a blow to the head. On the evening he had joined friends at the disco after he had been working until 10 p.m. at Dunnes Stores in Blanchardstown. He had relatively little to drink.
Mr Langan was with three other youths trying to hail a taxi near Portobello Bridge when he was struck and fell. He died in Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, six days later.