A MAN killed in a stabbing attack in the early hours of last Friday morning has been named as 21-year-old Maurice Martin, with an address in Navan, Co Meath.
Gardaí investigating the murder in Finglas, Dublin, are focusing on Mr Martin’s activities late on Thursday night and into last Friday morning in a bid to establish who he was last seen alive with.
Gardaí believe Mr Martin, who worked as a carpenter, was socialising in Dublin on Thursday night and went back to a party in Finglas in the early hours of Friday morning.
The dead man was originally from Kippure, Finglas, not far from where he was found dead.
Detectives believe Mr Martin was stabbed during a fight.
He then staggered along a pavement before collapsing on a grass verge at the junction of Cardiffsbridge Road and Tolka Valley Road.
A taxi driver working in the area just after 5am saw him on the grass and rang gardaí. When officers arrived they found Mr Martin lying in a pool of blood.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Mr Martin was not known to gardaí for any involvement in gangland crime.
Garda sources said the dead man’s blood was found across a large area close to where he died.
The scene was examined by members of the Garda Technical Bureau.
Gardaí are hopeful that a number of young people who were with Mr Martin in Finglas just before he died will come forward and provide information that will solve the killing.
Gardaí believe the victim may have spent a period of time drinking with others on open ground in Finglas just before he was fatally stabbed in the neck and chest.
Meanwhile, the Garda investigation into the discovery of a second man’s remains last Friday is continuing.
Paul Smyth (34), with addresses at Dunsink Ave, Finglas, and Dunleer, Co Louth, is believed to have been killed by a major drug dealing gang.
The Finglas gang, which was once led by murdered crime boss Martin “Marlo” Hyland, are the chief suspects for 12 murders since 2006, five of which occurred this year.
Paul Smyth was a close associate of the Finglas drug dealer and armed robber Paul “Farmer” Martin, who was shot dead by the Finglas gang in a pub last August.
Smyth vowed to avenge the killing and gardaí now believe the Finglas gang killed him in a bid to stop him carrying out his threat.
The remains of the 34-year-old were found dumped in a ditch in a field at Ballough, near Balbriggan, north Co Dublin.
Smyth had been reported missing by his family last Tuesday.
Gardaí examined the movements of his mobile phone and identified the search site at Ballough, where they found his body just before midday on Friday.
He had been shot in the head.
A handgun was used in the murder.
The victim’s car was found at a car park in a hotel just off the M1 motorway.
Another vehicle, which had been set on fire, is believed to have been used by the killers.
Gardaí believe Smyth was most likely shot at another location dumped near Ballough.
He is believed to have been dead for a number of days.
