Three men quizzed by gardai investigating death of Dylan McCarthy in Monasterevin

Mr McCarthy (29), who was from Kilmallock, Limerick, had travelled to the town to celebrate the birth of his sister’s baby with family and friends.

A fight is believed to have started around midnight on August 20 as Mr McCarthy and others were leaving the pub.

It is believed the groups clashed at the entrance to the premises, and the conflict escalated quickly into a vicious attack on Dylan McCarthy by a group of men.

It is alleged that he was beaten to the ground and assaulted in what garda sources said was a sustained attack by several men.

As Dylan McCarthy lay unconscious on the ground, one of the assailants is believed to have turned against his father, who was not involved in the fight but was standing nearby his injured son.

The assailant beat Eamonn McCarthy in the face, causing him significant facial injuries.

Gardaí and emergency services arrived at the pub within a short time, but Dylan McCarthy was lying unresponsive on the street, and his father was seriously injured.

Dylan McCarthy died from his injuries in Tallaght hospital on Monday, August 22.

This evening, gardaí said they had arrested three men as part of an ongoing investigation “into the incident of serious assault in Monasterevin, Co. Kildare on August 21”.

“The men, all aged in their early 20s are currently detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984 at multiple Garda Stations in Co. Kildare,” gardai said.

Gardaí in Kildare had earlier renewed an appeal for witnesses.

“Shortly after 12.30am on Sunday, August 21 gardaí and emergency services attended at Dublin Street, Monasterevin following reports of an altercation involving a group of people at the entrance of a premises,” gardai had said.

“A second man, aged in his 50s, who was treated for serious injuries has been transferred to Tallaght University Hospital where his condition remains serious.

Investigating Gardaí are continuing to appeal for witnesses to this incident to contact them.

Any person who was in the vicinity of Dublin Street, Monasterevin between 12.15am and 12.45am on Sunday, 21st August 2022 is asked to contact investigating Gardaí. Any road users who were in the area and who may have camera (including dash cam) footage is asked to make this available to Gardaí.

Dylan McCarthy had been an active member of his local GAA club in Kilmallock and played hurling and football

In Kilmallock last week, the community paid tribute to Dylan McCarthy as a vibrant and popular young man who had been heavily involved in his local GAA club, playing at underage level for the club in hurling and football.

The parish priest for Kilmallock described the sense of sadness that fell like a “blanket” over the town as news of his death emerged.

Fr Chris O'Donnell told RTE’s Morning Ireland the day after Dylan McCarthy's death: “People are devastated — just a lot of sorrow and sadness; disbelief, and anger too.”

He did not know Dylan McCarthy personally but said: “Anybody that did know Dylan and the family — Dylan lived in Kilmallock, he worked in Kilmallock, he recently had moved to Cork — we are devastated for them.

"He was very involved in the GAA. The ripples are everywhere — he was very popular, from a lovely family.

"It's every parent's nightmare. Nearly every parent in the area now is thinking of their own children.

"In many ways, it feels like Dylan is everyone's son and brother at the moment.

“These tragedies leave everyone questioning.”

Kilmallock GAA club paid tribute to him, saying he had been “a huge addition to any team and a real team player always”.

Mr McCarthy’s mother told her son’s funeral mass how the family were “humbled” by a wave of condolences sent to them “from all over Ireland”.

Hundreds of mourners who attended the young man's funeral Mass at St Peter and Paul’s Church, Kilmallock, heard he was a “treasure” to his family, who carried out Mr McCarthy’s wishes by donating his organs after his death.

The funeral heard the organs were received by four people in need of life-saving transplant surgeries.