A murder investigation began in Ardee, Co Louth, yesterday morning, into the death of a man who was found stabbed in the chest with a broken broom handle.
The murder took place in the early hours of the morning after the man and his partner had gone to bed. It is believed the front door of the house and the victim's bedroom door of house had been kicked in.
Mr Patrick Gallagher (38), from Gweedore, Co Donegal, was found in bed with the broom handle in his chest. His companion had minor cuts to her head.
Mr Gallagher had rented the house on the Drogheda Road in Ardee and worked on construction sites in Dublin. It is believed he worked abroad for a number of years and moved to Ardee about 12 months ago.
Mr Gallagher and his girlfriend, who was in her 20s, had spent most of the evening in local pubs and had a Chinese meal before returning home. The house is beside a church and across the road from the national school.
About 20 yards from the house gardai recovered a hammer from a refuse bin which they suspect may have been used in the incident. A few feet from the bin they sealed off two public telephone kiosks which may have been used to make the 999 call for an ambulance. The call was placed to ambulance control just after 2 a.m. by a man who spoke with a local accent. He asked for medical help to be sent to the house. Gardai yesterday appealed for the caller to contact them.
The young woman was taken to the Louth County Hospital, Dundalk, where she was treated for minor cuts to her head and then discharged.
There was great shock in the small town at the violence of the death. Around 3,500 people live in Ardee and many said they were amazed that a murder should take place there.
Father Eamon Tierney, who anointed the victim, said "violence is no way to solve a problem". A number of local people said they did not know the victim but were greatly shocked at his death.
Mr Padraig McKinney, a member of Ardee Town Commissioners, said: "While I don't know anything of the circumstances, this is obviously a tragedy. Such violence is very much out of character with the town."
It emerged yesterday afternoon that the dead man was the victim of an attack last year but otherwise was not known to gardai.
A Garda spokesman said, "a considerable amount of drink was involved."
The deputy State Pathologist, Dr Marie Cassidy, carried out a post-mortem in the Louth County Hospital yesterday afternoon.
Gardai have appealed to anyone who saw any suspicious vehicles or activity along the Drogheda Road in Ardee between midnight and 3 a.m. yesterday to contact them at 0416853222.
An incident room has been set up in Ardee Garda station and detectives from the Louth/Meath division and from the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation are involved in the murder inquiry.
The motive for the murder is unclear and a number of lines were being pursued.