Gardaí have appealed for witnesses after a man was fatally assaulted outside a house in Limerick City on Saturday morning.
The victim, named locally as Ger Curtin, (42), from Old Cork Road, Limerick, was allegedly struck with a shovel, sources said.
Mr Curtin’s body was found by gardaí in the front drive of a property at Sarsfield Avenue, Garryowen at around 4.45am pn Saturday.
Gardaí said a man in his 40s has been arrested and is being detained at a Garda station in Limerick in connection with Mr Curtin’s death.
Mr Curtin did not live at the house where his body was found, and gardaí were trying to piece together his last movements on Friday night into Saturday morning as part of their enquires into how his body ended up on the driveway of the house in Garryowen.
Tributes and photos of Mr Curtin have been shared on social media by his loved ones and friends.
One woman who shared a tribute to Mr Curtin wrote: “Rest easy my cousin Ger, my nans favourite. Please God mind and protect my uncle, (his) wife, and all my cousins. So cruel.”
Friends said they were “devastated” and asked for prayers for Mr Curtin’s family, who were being supported by a Garda family liaison officer.
Sympathies shared online by another woman read: “Thinkin of all the curtins at this time...rip ger.”
Another friend wrote: “Thinking of the curtin family at this sad time. RIP Ger one cruel world we live in.”
Others who shared their shock online wrote how it was “very sad”, and “so heartbreaking, rest peacefully ger, my condolences to all his family at this very sad time”.
“It’s a sin, a young boy with his whole life ahead of him. May he Rest In Peace, my condolences to all the Curtin family,” added another woman.
Mr Curtin’s body remained at the scene on Saturday morning, covered by a Garda forensics tarpaulin tent, and a large entrance square to the house, including neighbouring houses, remained sealed off by Garda investigators.
A post-mortem examination on Mr Curtin's body will take place in due course.
In a statement on Saturday morning, Gardaí confirmed a man aged in his 40s was found unresponsive outside a property on Sarsfield Avenue during the early hours of Saturday.
“Ambulance personnel tended to the man, who was pronounced deceased a short time later,” the statement added.
Gardaí are continuing to appeal for anyone with information in relation to the incident to come forward.
Those with camera footage, including CCTV and dash-cam recordings, from the Sarsfield Avenue area between 4am and 5.15am on Saturday morning are asked to make it available to gardaí.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Henry Street Garda station on 061-212 400, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800-666 111, or any Garda station.
