GARDAÍ LAST night launched a murder investigation following the death in hospital of Co Clare man Brian Casey from serious injuries he received in an assault.
Mr Casey (26), from the village of Lissycasey, 12 miles to the west of Ennis, had been on life-support at Limerick Regional Hospital after sustaining serious head injuries arising from the assault in O’Connell Square in Ennis on St Stephen’s night.
Parish priest of Lissycasey Fr Joe Hourigan said last night the close-knit community was going through “a terrible shock and trauma” over Mr Casey’s death.
Fr Hourigan revealed that Mr Casey’s organs had been donated to others.
“It shows the incredible generosity of the Caseys, and please God, other persons will get life through this, and that something good will come of it,” the priest said.
A single man, Brian was a member of the victorious Lissycasey football panel that won the county championship in 2007, and teammates approached Fr Hourigan to say a special Mass for Brian on Sunday.
Fr Hourigan said yesterday: “Brian was a wonderful son to his parents, and his father also told me Brian was a tremendous friend.”
He added: “Brian had a short life, but a full life, and he was very generous and very aware of others. He was a young man, but was very mature for his years.”
Fr Hourigan noted “an incredible response in the area to three tragedies in the past few days”. The community was also about to bury two other men who died on Saturday, he said.
Pat Kelly of Coolbawn, Lissycasey, was killed when his jeep left the road due to ice, while local man Tommy Meere died from injuries received after slipping on ice.
Fr Hourigan said Mr Kelly’s funeral will be held today, and Mr Meere’s tomorrow. Mr Casey’s is to be held on Thursday or Friday.
A postmortem on Mr Casey’s remains is expected to be carried out today in Limerick.
:quality(70)/s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/irishtimes/6e8ec300-40e5-4306-a133-026729d6d8b8.png)