The people of Clondra, a small village by the banks of the Shannon, six miles west of Longford town, have been deeply disturbed by the death of a local man.
Mr Tom Croghan, a 71year-old bachelor was found dead in the hallway of his small public house shortly before 9 p.m. on Sunday.
His death took place while many from the community were attending evening Mass less than 50 yards from where he died.
Mr Croghan, who ran the smallest of the village's three public houses, was found lying inside the front door by a local man who had gone to the pub after Mass.
"Evening Mass is at a strange time in Clondra, 8.15 p.m., to facilitate the workers in the Burlington plant, and most people were in the church at the time," said local woman Ms Mary McDonnell.
"Tom only opened the pub in the evenings and it was not unusual for the bar to be closed until eight or nine o'clock at night. A local man went down after Mass and saw the door slightly open and pushed it in and found him lying in the hallway," she said.
At first, local people thought Mr Croghan had suffered a heart attack and they called an ambulance which arrived from Longford Hospital.
It was only when the ambulance crew opened his shirt and discovered a single wound in his chest that their suspicions were aroused and the gardai summoned.
The parish priest, Fr Dan Kelly, Kilashee, administered the Last Rites to Mr Croghan. A kitchen knife was found near the body and there were signs some money may have been taken from the premises.
At around 11 p.m. on Sunday a young local man was arrested and taken to Longford Garda station where he was questioned. A post-mortem examination was carried out by the Assistant State Pathologist, Dr Marie Cassidy. The people of the village, which is a holiday destination for anglers on the Shannon, were clearly shocked by the death of the local publican, who lived on his own and is survived by nieces and nephews.
Neighbours said Mr Croghan, who also ran a small farm on the outskirts of the village, was one of the quietest people in the area.
"He loved his life and was very kind. He ran a very small, homely-type pub and he liked nothing better than to chat to visitors and locals," said a local man.
Another neighbour said Mr Croghan loved his life apart from his work and normally did not open the pub until late in the evening. He was highly respected by all the local people.
The village had already been hit by bad news this month. The body of a local man, John McKendry, was recently recovered from the Shannon at Clondra by local sub aqua club divers.
The village is also trying to deal with the loss of the largest employer in the area, Atlantic Mills, where 200 jobs will go at the end of next month when the plant ceases operating.