Man arrested over New Year’s Day hotel murder

A SUSPECT in the murder of a young man in a Dublin hotel in the early hours of New Year’s Day was arrested last night.

Detectives from Fitzgibbon Street arrested the 25-year-old male shortly before 5pm.

He was brought to Mountjoy Garda Station for questioning by officers leading the investigation into the death of Martin McLoughlin, 21, following a row in Jury’s hotel near Croke Park on January 1.

The man was arrested under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act which allows him to be held for up to 12 hours.

Gardaí were satisfied that they had identified Mr McLoughlin’s attacker but feared he had gone into hiding.

All garda stations in the Dublin metropolitan division had been alerted to his identity and ordered to arrest him on sight.

Mr McLoughlin, from Cherrywood Park, Clondalkin died in the Mater Hospital as a result of a single stab wound a few hours after the violent incident.

It is understood the young construction worker was part of a group of friends from Clondalkin who had checked into the hotel in order to enjoy the New Year’s celebrations.

However, he became involved in a row with several young women at around 4am in a corridor on the third floor of the hotel.

At that stage, it is believed his attacker intervened in the dispute by stabbing the victim once in the chest.

The two men were loosely acquainted with each other but were not part of the same group.

The prime suspect, who is known to use cocaine, has already come to the attention of gardaí over links to another violent death just two months ago.

The drug dealer is also considered the main suspect for the murder of another young Dubliner found dead on a remote road in Co Wicklow on November 4.

Owen McCarthy, 24, a small-scale dealer from Clondalkin, was shot in the head at Annalecka Bridge near the Wicklow Gap.