GARDAÍ INVESTIGATING the circumstances surrounding the death of a man outside a pub in Cork city were last night awaiting the results of a postmortem to establish how he died.
The man, who has been named locally as Anthony Hennessy (41), Cushing Place, Farranree, Cork, collapsed after being ejected by staff from the Mo Chuísle bar off Blarney Street in the city at about 11.45pm on Thursday. It is understood that bar staff had to restrain Mr Hennessy while ejecting him from the premises.
He continued to give cause for concern after his removal from the bar and staff had contacted the gardaí before he took ill.
When gardaí from Gurranebraher station arrived at the scene, the emergency services were attending to Mr Hennessy.
He was removed by ambulance to Cork University Hospital, where he died at about 1.45am yesterday.
Gardaí cordoned off the area outside the pub and closed off a section of Blarney Street from Old Market Place to Cattle Market Avenue overnight, while a Garda technical team carried out forensic examination of the area.
Detectives have interviewed 15 to 20 people, including bar staff, who were in the bar at the time. They have also begun studying closed circuit television footage from outside the pub.
State Pathologist Dr Marie Cassidy travelled from Dublin yesterday afternoon to carry out a postmortem on Mr Hennessy at Cork University Hospital.
Gardaí in Gurranebraher believe that a number of pedestrians and motorists passed by Mo Chuísle's, formerly Chevys, on Blarney Street, between 11.45pm and midnight.
They appealed to witnesses to contact them at 021-494 6200.