Six men arrested in murder inquiry

SIX men who were arrested yesterday after 30 gardaí swooped on a number of homes as part of their investigation into a murder last Hallowe’en were released without charge last night.

The investigation is ongoing and a file is being prepared for the DPP, a garda spokesperson said.

The six, one of whom is in his mid-50s, were being questioned at three different garda stations in Co Tipperary in connection with the stabbing of 21-year-old Jamie Lonergan. His body was found by local youths in the early hours of November 1.

The discovery was made in an area called Kelly’s Field, adjacent to St Luke’s Hospital, Clonmel.

A post mortem revealed that he died following multiple stab wounds to the head and body.

A former worker at the Flancare logistics company in Clonmel, Mr Lonergan was murdered on his way home from a bonfire.

Earlier that night he had been arrested by gardaí in connection with a public order incident. He was released without charge and then went to the bonfire party. Gardaí were notified of the discovery of Mr Lonergan’s body shortly before 3am.

He was found lying in a pool of blood.

At the time, gardaí said they were unsure if he was walking home alone from the bonfire when the attack took place.

The area he was discovered in was a well known shortcut from Kelly’s Field to the town centre.

“We have interviewed more than 300 people who attended the bonfire and hundreds more as part of the investigation,” a senior garda spokesperson said.

“It has been a very extensive investigation.” Two of the men arrested yesterday were being questioned at Clonmel garda station, while two each were held in Cahir and Tipperary town.

The garda spokesperson said that apart from the man in his 50s, all others detained were in their 20s.

The discovery of Mr Lonergan’s body marked the third violent death in the area in recent years. In 1996, David Nugent was stabbed to death in a field just two minutes away. Anthony Buck is serving life for the attack. A year later, Frankie Daniels was battered to death behind the nearby Chadwick’s store.

Meanwhile, gardaí in Limerick said they have made no significant progress into the Brain Fitzgerald murder investigation.

Mr Fitzgerald, aged 34, who worked as a bouncer in Doc’s nightclub was gunned down outside his home in Corbally in the early hours of November 29.