A garda investigation will continue today into the death of an elderly Athlone man who was found dead in his home early yesterday morning.
Mr William Fitzmaurice (74), a retired Army sergeant and father of 12 children, lived at Magazine Avenue, Athlone, where he died at 2.30 a.m. yesterday.
A preliminary post-mortem on his body, which had been taken to the Longford-Westmeath General Hospital, Mullingar, yesterday evening, found that death resulted from a head injury.
The medical services and gardai had been called to his home shortly after 2 a.m. yesterday, when Mr Fitzmaurice was found at the foot of the stairs.
He was taken by ambulance to St Vincent's Hospital, Athlone, but was dead on arrival. His remains were removed to Mullingar yesterday where the post-mortem was carried out by the Assistant State Pathologist, Dr Marie Cassidy.
Mr Fitzmaurice, described by neighbours as a quiet, church-going man, had been celebrating the christening of his eight-weeks-old grandchild on Sunday.
A neighbour, Ms Phillis Ruane, said she had heard the ambulance arrive at the Fitzmaurice home shortly after 2 a.m. and was shocked to learn that he had died.
"It was frightening to think that something had happened to him. He was a very nice man. A very good man he was," she said.
A Garda spokesman last night said an investigation would continue today into the circumstances in which Mr Fitzmaurice had met his death.
Supt Gerard Phillips, who is in charge of the investigation, said all aspects of the incident would be examined.