Student found dead on golf course

FRIENDS of a student, found dead in the grounds of a Dublin hotel on Thursday morning, fear he may have died from hypothermia.

Gardaí were last night awaiting the results of an autopsy on the body of Charlie Gallagher, 19, from Maynooth, Co Kildare after he was discovered on the golf course attached to the Citywest Hotel in Clondalkin.

However, following the results of a preliminary post-mortem, detectives have ruled out foul play.

Mr Gallagher, a third-year computers student at Dublin City University, was separated from friends while attending the DCU Societies Ball at the hotel on Wednesday.

His body was discovered by a hotel customer at around 8am on Thursday morning on the driving range a short distance from the main hotel building.

Friends of the dead student said it was unclear if he left the hotel of his own accord or was asked to leave by security personnel.

Mr Gallagher, who suffered from asthma, may have wandered around hotel grounds for hours before his body was discovered.

“He went missing between midnight and 12.30am even though buses were not due to collect students until after 2am,” said friend Brian Sammon. “He would have had no other way of getting home.”

Students were shocked when informed of Mr Gallagher’s death by the college authorities on Thursday morning.

“Everyone is just numb. It’s hard to believe especially as Charlie was in such good form that night,” said Mr Sammon.

Citywest Hotel general manager John Glynn, said the security firm used at the function had been not been employed by the hotel but had been hired by DCU students. However, he said reports that Mr Gallagher had been asked to leave the event were inaccurate.

A spokesperson for the security firm could not be contacted for comment.