TWO MEN were being questioned by gardaí last night in connection with the fatal stabbing of a man in the early hours of December 26th last.
One of the arrested men is well known to gardaí in Dublin's north inner city for his involvement in gangland crime. He was arrested recently in relation to a fatal shooting in the capital.
The victim of the December 26th killing, Barry Maguire (23), Deerpark estate, Ashbourne, Co Meath, was stabbed during an altercation between two groups of men in the Milltown estate in the Co Meath town. A second man who was injured in the altercation survived the attack. He was stabbed as he ran from the scene and was trying to phone for an ambulance for his injured friend.
Mr Maguire was found in a collapsed state when gardaí arrived on the scene at 4am to investigate a disturbance. He was brought to Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown, but died from his injuries a short time later.
While one of the suspects under arrest last night is involved in organised crime, there is no suggestion that the killing of Mr Maguire was in any way linked to criminal activity.
Gardaí believe two groups of men met on the street after a party in the Milltown estate and became involved in a row during which a knife was produced.
A reliable Garda source said Mr Maguire and those he was with were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time and had the misfortune of happening across those who attacked them. A postmortem on by State Pathologist Dr Marie Cassidy revealed Mr Maguire died of a single stab wound.
To date nobody has been charged in connection with Mr Maguire's death.
Gardaí arrested two men yesterday in their early 20s. They were arrested at addresses in Ashbourne and in Lusk, Co Dublin.
They were taken to Balbriggan and Drogheda Garda stations where they were still being questioned last night.
One of men was arrested last month by gardaí who are investigating the shooting dead in the Ardlea Inn, Artane, Dublin, of Anthony Russell (30).
He was killed as part of a gangland feud between two rival criminal factions based mainly in Sheriff Street, Dublin. In the days after the Russell killing, gardaí arrested 13 people.
The man in custody last night in relation to Mr Maguire's killing was one of those 13. He is believed to have been at the scene of Mr Maguire's murder.
The second man under arrest last night in relation to Mr Maguire's killing is also originally from Dublin's north inner city.