Cork pub killing: gardaí investigate if victim suffered sustained assault

Gardaí investigating a fatal assault on a man in a pub in Mitchelstown in North Cork on Friday night are focusing on whether the victim suffered a sustained attack.

Officers have not released the results of a postmortem on the body of 36-year-old Paddy O’Donnell for operational reasons but it’s understood he suffered severe head injuries during the attack.

Detectives are investigating whether Mr O'Donnell may have been knocked to the ground and then subjected to a sustained assault in Willie Andies pub in Mitchelstown.

A married father of four from Market Green, Stag Park in Mitchelstown, Mr O'Donnell was originally from Ballindangan, some 8kms south west of Mitchelstown, where he still has family.

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Mr O’Donnell’s wife and children were yesterday being comforted by other family and friends and prayers were said for the family at Saturday night masses in the area.

Mr O’Donnell was pronounced dead at the scene of by a local doctor at around 11pm on Friday after the emergency services were alerted. Paramedics attended but were unable to save him.

Mr O’Donnell’s body remained in the pub overnight but was removed to Cork University Hospital on Saturday.

State Pathologist Dr Marie Cassidy arrived in Cork University Hospital On Saturday afternoon to begin a postmortem on Mr O'Donnell's body.

Gardaí were continuing to question a 27-year-old man arrested in the Linden Hill estate in Mitchelstown at around 11pm on Friday in relation to the assault on Mr O’Donnell.

The man was arrested under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act which means he can be held for 24 hours and taken to Fermoy Garda station for questioning.

Garda technical experts have carried out a forensic examination of the scene.

It’s understood detectives have secured CCTV footage from the premises and are hoping that it will shed light on what triggered the row and what happened during the fatal assault.

A number of witnesses have also been interviewed. It is understood the pub was quite busy at the time of the incident as a local festival was taking place in New Market Square.

An incident room has been set up at Fermoy Garda station. Gardaí are appealing to anyone who was in Willie Andies on Friday night to contact them on 025-821-00.