Four teenagers arrested over fatal attack on man
He died at the Mid-Western Regional hospital four days later without ever regaining consciousness.
Darren received massive injuries when kicked around the head by three men who jumped out of a car.
The attack happened near the Limerick Institute of Technology student village, at Old Cratloe Road.
Darren and a number of friends had gathered there.
Darren’s father, Eugene, said the family were outraged that some people were trying to link his son’s killing to the ongoing city feud.
The Coughlans are related by marriage to a man convicted of the murder of crime boss Kieran Keane.
Gardaí said the dead youth had nothing to do with the feud.
However, one line of inquiry is that Darren may have been set upon because of his family’s link to one feud figure.
Yesterday’s arrests were carried out in the St Mary’s Park and Moyross areas and the four youths arrested, were being questioned at Henry Street, Roxboro Road, Mayorstone and Bruff garda stations.
They were being held under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act. A garda spokesman said that the four teenagers are being held in connection with ‘an assault causing harm’ to Darren Coughlan.
Darren Coughlan never regained consciousness and was on a life support machine before he died.
At the family’s requests vital organs were donated for transplant.
Mr Coughlan said his son had always told the family that if anything ever happened him, he wanted his organs donated.
The assault happened at around 10.30 pm on November 4.
The murder of Darren Coughlan was the second in the garda division within the space of nine days, after a 14-month period in which there was no violent death in Limerick.
