Murder hunt launched for badly beaten man's killers

GARDAÍ have launched a murder investigation after the badly beaten body of a 27-year-old man was found in the grounds of a castle.

The body of Derek O’Connell was spotted inside a 10ft high perimeter security fence which surrounds Blackrock Castle in Cork by girls out walking a dog at 6.50pm on Sunday. The disused castle is a former restaurant, which was purchased last April by Cork City Council.

Mr O’Connell, originally from 3 Ascension Heights, Knocknaheeny, was a petty criminal who was known to gardaí. Detectives believe his body may have been at the scene for up to 24 hours.

Deputy State Pathologist Dr Marie Cassidy carried out an hour-long preliminary examination at the scene yesterday morning. Mr O’Connell’s body was then taken to Cork University Hospital for a full post mortem.

A search of the castle and the foreshore was carried out by a local Garda team aided by members of the Garda Technical Bureau who travelled down from Dublin yesterday.

Teams of detectives and uniformed gardaí also began house to house enquiries in the area. It is believed that Mr O’Connell was murdered within the castle grounds and not dumped there as suspected.

However, senior gardaí would not comment on speculation that a pair of wire cutters were discovered near the body of victim or that he had suffered severe head injuries. Mr O’Connell was a single man who was believed to have been living at a number of different addresses in the southside of the city within the past few months.

Members of his family visited the scene yesterday.

“It’s a very quiet area and you never see any trouble or anything like that. It’s a nice area,” shocked local Paddy Cummins said.

Some other locals claimed the area to the rear of the castle, by the foreshore, had become a haven for young people at night and was being used for drug dealing.

A Cork City Council spokesman said the area was patrolled by security guards during daytime and was frequently visited by mobile security patrols at night.

Lord Mayor of Cork John Kelleher said he was upset by the news.

“I am naturally shocked to hear it and I would like to extend my sympathies to Mr O’Connell’s family,” the Lord Mayor said.

Anybody with information is asked to contact gardaí at Anglesea Street [phone] or Blackrock [phone].