A man who has been in custody in relation to the investigation into the fatal stabbing of a retired CIE official in north Dublin on Thursday evening has been taken for psychiatric assessment. Mr John O'Connell, who was in his 60s, was found lying in the kitchen of his home in Kincora Avenue, Clontarf, at 4.30 p.m.
A post-mortem examination is understood to have shown that Mr O'Connell died from a stab wound to the chest.
A 22-year-old man was arrested at the scene and was taken to Clontarf Garda station for questioning. He was later transferred for psychiatric assessment.
A file is being prepared by gardai.
Mr O'Connell's death brings to seven the number of homicides being investigated by the gardai in the past three weeks, five of them in Dublin. However, despite the fact that two women and five men have met violent deaths in such a short time, gardai pointed out that this appears to be coincidental and the homicide trend in the State does not appear to be increasing.
The string of deaths was preceded by only two homicides between the start of October and later November.
There was no indication yesterday of any breakthrough in the investigation into the murder of the Connemara teenager Ms Siobhan Hynes, who was found dead on a beach near Carraroe last week.