Teenage father stabbed to death in street fight

MORE THAN a dozen people were involved in an early morning street fight in Dublin yesterday in which a teenage father died.

Jamie Keogh, who sustained fatal stab wounds, was the father of an 18-month-old boy. His girlfriend is believed to be expecting their second child.

Gardaí yesterday arrested a 21-year-old man in connection with Mr Keogh's death in Tallaght.

The man was held under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act.

The 12-hour period of detention was scheduled to expire at 12.30am today.

The teenager's mother and his girlfriend, along with neighbours, laid flowers and cards at a bloodstained spot in Donomore Avenue where the badly injured Mr Keogh was found.

He had earlier evaded a garda patrol who had spotted him with bloodstains. The injured teenager climbed over a wall into the back garden of a house but was discovered shortly afterwards lying on a footpath in Donomore Avenue.

According to gardaí, the stabbing incident happened shortly before 2am.

Mr Keogh, from nearby Millbrook Lawns, was pronounced dead at Tallaght Hospital at 3.20am.

Gardaí confirmed patrols were called to two separate disturbances in the vicinity of the west Dublin housing estate between 1.30am and 2.30am yesterday.

In the second incident, which gardaí said was not connected to the fatal stabbing, a man in his 40s was taken to hospital after a fire brigade ambulance was called to a house.

However, gardaí said they were later called to a general fight in the area where more than a dozen people were involved.

Neighbours had complained of young men shouting loudly in the area.

Gardaí said two men, in particular, were very agitated when the patrol arrived. "One of them had blood stains on his shirt but he took off on food and left the scene," gardaí said.

Meanwhile, gardaí in Tallaght appealed to witnesses and neighbours who saw anything early yesterday to come forward.

In Sligo yesterday, a 21-year-old man was yesterday remanded in custody charged with the murder of a former soldier in the city earlier this week.

Mark Sweeney, from Finisklin, Sligo, was accused of killing 42-year-old Paul Waters, from Avondale, Sligo. Mr Waters' body was found in an alleyway after suffering multiple blows to the head.

Mr Sweeney, who was arrested in Sligo yesterday, will appear before the court again on August 5.