Man found injured in Dublin playground fighting for his life in hospital

The man, aged in his late 40s, remains critically ill in hospital after being found with serious head injuries in the Mac Uilliam estate in Tallaght on Saturday night.

Dublin Fire Brigade (DFB) was alerted to the scene and informed gardaí, who subsequently launched an investigation into the serious assault.

The man was rushed to Tallaght Hospital but has since been transferred to Beaumont Hospital due to the severity of his injuries.

He underwent surgery yesterday morning and last night remained in a critical condition in hospital.

Gardaí are appealing for any witnesses to come forward and are in the process of tracking the man's movements in the lead-up to Saturday night's discovery.

"There is still no clear indication of what happened to this man, so gardaí are trying to piece together his movements and see who he was with on Saturday," a source said.

"At this stage, it is being investigated as a serious assault and gardaí are trying to establish how this man suffered these serious injuries.

"He has undergone surgery for the head wounds and remains in intensive care in a critical condition."

The man was found at around 11.40pm and the scene was forensically preserved overnight to facilitate a technical examination.

A garda spokesman said no arrests have been made to date and inquiries are ongoing.

"Gardaí are appealing for witnesses in particular to those who were in the vicinity of the playground at Mac Uilliam estate late last night to come forward," the garda spokesman said yesterday.

"They are also appealing to those with video footage (including dash cam) to make it available to them. Anyone with information is asked to contact Tallaght garda station 01-666 6000 or the garda confidential line 1800 666 111."

Recent figures from the Central Statistics Office show assaults and similar offences have increased by 6pc in the past year.

In particular, serious assaults have risen by 12pc, with attacks on men rising by 24pc, compared with an 14pc increase in attacks on females.

The biggest rise among males was among those aged between 30 and 44 years old, up by 40pc. There was a 37pc increase among young adults aged between 18 and 29.