The small community of Tubber in north Co Clare was visibly shocked yesterday following the death of a well-known and highly-regarded farmer after he was hospitalised with severe head injuries.
Gardai have launched a full murder investigation following an alleged assault early on Saturday morning.
Mr Raymond Hynes (37) left O'Grady's pub outside Tubber, where he had been socialising with friends. Less than an hour later, at 2 a.m., he was brought injured to the nearby town of Gort. He was referred by a GP to University College Hospital, Galway.
Mr Hynes, single, was transferred to Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, later that day.
He failed to regain consciousness and was pronounced dead yesterday at 11 a.m. Supt Paul Mockler, of Gort Garda station, who is leading the investigation, said three people had been arrested and questioned, and a file had been sent to the DPP after gardai were alerted to the incident.
The three men, two of whom are from the Gort area, have since been released without charge.
The State Pathologist, Dr John Harbison, carried out a post-mortem on the body yesterday evening.
"While we are awaiting the results of the post-mortem, the investigation is of the same magnitude as a murder investigation. It is only after the post-mortem that we will be able to determine the seriousness of the case," Supt Mockler said.
The village of Tubber, on the edge of the Burren, has a population of about 100. The parish, mainly a farming community, has about 600 people. Most of these attended a special Mass on Wednesday evening for Mr Hynes.
Father Charles Navin, who had recently retired as parish priest, said he had known Mr Hynes since he was 10 years old. "He was a nice young lad who never caused a bit of trouble at all. He was liked by everybody."
The part-time cattle farmer, who also worked in Keane's nurseries in nearby Kilkeedy, was well known as a hurler for the Tubber senior team. He was captain of the team until last year but stepped down from that position because of a knee injury. A brother and sister live nearby.
The third of a family of four, he lived with his elderly parents on the family farm. At the village shop yesterday people were questioning the savagery of the incident. One person said Raymond Hynes had been a shy man who would drop by for his newspaper, cigarettes and a bar of chocolate. "He was the grandest fellow you could meet," one woman said.
Friends could not believe the news yesterday. They knew him as a hurler, and one said he was an outstanding player, an example to others and one of the best people to come out of the area. "It happens in Eyre Square in Galway, it happens in Temple Bar in Dublin and now it has happened here," he said.