Latvian man seriously injured after being stabbed at party

A MAN was left seriously injured after he was stabbed during a row at a Christmas party in County Meath.

The victim, a Latvian national in his 40s, was attending the party at the Old Mill Hotel in Julianstown when a row broke out with another group.

A Garda spokesman said the man was stabbed a number of times in the altercation, which happened at about 1.15am on Saturday.

The spokesman said: “He was then removed by ambulance to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda.”

Officers from Laytown Garda station have preserved the scene for technical examination, he added.

The victim remained in a serious condition in hospital last night.

A spokeswoman for the Old Mill Hotel initially claimed no knowledge of the incident, but then said the manager was not available for comment.

Meanwhile, a man found dead in custody in Monaghan garda station died of a heart attack, a post-mortem revealed.

Martin Connolly, aged 40, from Sheskin, near Scotstown, was arrested at 1.30am on Saturday in connection with a domestic dispute.

He was taken to Monaghan garda station but was found unconscious in a cell an hour later. He is believed to have had a history of heart trouble.

“All efforts to resuscitate the man failed and he was pronounced dead at the scene,” a garda spokesman said.

Mr Connolly’s body was taken to Cavan General Hospital.

A post-mortem by State Pathologist Dr Marie Cassidy found that he died of natural causes.

A garda spokeswoman added: “There will be a standard investigation into the death as it is not something that goes uninvestigated.”

The coroner has been informed about the death.

Mr Connolly, an economics graduate, had no children. He is survived by his two elderly parents and three sisters, two of whom work as pharmacists in Monaghan.

Independent Monaghan TD Paudge Connolly said he wished to express his sympathy to the family following the death.