Cork soccer hero critical after assault

A former soccer star remained in a critical but stable condition in hospital yesterday, following a serious assault outside a pub in Cork city on Friday night.

Miah Dennehy was taken to Cork University Hospital after he was attacked outside the Fob and Gill pub in Mayfield on the north side of the city at about 7.30pm.

He sustained serious head injuries during the assault and is being treated in the intensive care unit at the hospital.

Mr Dennehy had just left the pub when the incident occurred. Gardaí and the emergency services were alerted by a phone call from a member of the public.

Supt Martin Shannon said it was initially thought Mr Dennehy had sustained his injuries in a fall, but subsequent investigations revealed he had been assaulted.

"We have had very good co-operation from people but we are still appealing for witnesses in case there were others who have not contacted us. We would particularly like to talk to anybody who might have been in the grounds of the pub around this time and seen the assault," he said. Witnesses are asked to contact Mayfield Garda station at 021-4558510.

Mr Dennehy, who is in his mid-50s, started his football career with Cork Hibernians and was transferred to Nottingham Forest in 1972.

He went on to play for Walsall for three years in the mid-1970s.

In 1972, the Gurranebraher native scored a hat-trick in the FAI Cup Final when Cork Hibernians beat Waterford 3-0.

He played for Ireland 11 times and is described on the People's Republic of Cork blog as "the original Roy Keane".

In recent years, Mr Dennehy had worked in the car park at Jury's Hotel and as a doorman at a number of local premises.

A father of two, he was described locally yesterday as a mild-mannered man "who wouldn't hurt a fly".

Terry Barrett, a former team-mate at Castleview Football Club where Mr Dennehy played as a junior, said the assault was "a terrible thing to happen".

"Miah is very highly regarded by people. I don't think anybody in Cork city would have a bad word to say about him and we are all praying that he will be okay," he said.