A man (24) was stabbed to death in Kiltimagh, Co Mayo last night.
The body of Francis Heneghan, from Ballyheane, outside Castlebar, was found by gardaí in an alley early this morning. He was discovered about an hour after another man had been assaulted on nearby Main Street. The man hurt in the initial attack is not thought to be seriously injured.
A Garda spokesman would not say if the two incidents were linked.
Gardaí believe several people were involved in the killing.
Superintendent Ronan Galligan appealed for anyone with information on the killing to come forward.
“This was a mindless, senseless violent act perpetrated on a young man in a small town in Mayo,” he said. “We’re appealing to people whom we know were present in around the scene at the time to come forward to us and let us know whatever information they have in relation to this particular crime.”
It was the second knife attack in the county in less than a week. Garda Daryl Mullen was stabbed in Westport on August 9th.
He remains in a serious but stable condition in Mayo General Hospital in Castlebar. A 16-year-old youth has been charged in relation to the stabbing and remanded in St Patrick’s Institution.
Fine Gael claimed the two stabbings highlighted the Government’s inability to crack down on knife crime.
Front bench spokesman Fergus O’Dowd said criminals do not fear being caught for using knives. “The last three days have seen the tragic consequences of Dermot Ahern’s inability to challenge this menace head on,” he claimed.
“The only way to reduce knife crime offences is to tighten the law, use its provisions and resource the Gardaí. So far, the Government has failed to do all of this and a massive hike in stabbings has been the result.”