Gardaí took 736 statements, few of which proved useful
It was a horrific incident which led to one of the longest-running manslaughter cases this country has ever seen.
Hours after Mr Murphy's death, one of the largest garda investigations ever undertaken began.
Within weeks, 736 statements had been taken from witnesses.
Most of the statements were of little or no use in the investigation. Ranks had closed and people who saw what happened or who were involved never came forward to tell the truth.
Up to 10 youths kicked and punched Brian Murphy as he lay helplessly on the ground.
The trial of the men charged in connection with the death of Mr Murphy ran for 34 days and included 100 witnesses, 47 of whom saw the fatal incident in which he was kicked and beaten to death.
Andrew Frame, aged 22, of Nutley Lane, Donnybrook; Dermot Laide, aged 22, of Castleblayney, Co Monaghan; Seán Mackey aged 23, of South Park, Foxrock; and Desmond Ryan, aged 23, of Cunningham Road, Dalkey, had all pleaded not guilty to the charge of manslaughter.
The trial dominated media headlines for its entire 34 days as the four men stood trial for manslaughter and violent disorder in connection with the incident, just months after leaving the exclusive Blackrock College where they had been pupils.
After a seven-week trial, three of his attackers 22-year-old Dermot Laide, Sean Mackey and Desmond Ryan, both 23 were handed down custodial sentences by Judge Michael White at Dublin's Circuit Criminal Court.
Laide, from Castleblayney, Co Monaghan, was the only one convicted of both manslaughter and violent disorder. He admitted a role in the fight.
He told gardaí he gave him (Murphy) "two good belts" on the night he was kicked to death outside the Burlington Hotel.
Both Mackey and Ryan were found guilty of violent disorder. Ryan, from Dalkey, Co Dublin, was cleared of manslaughter, but the jury failed to agree a verdict on the charge for Mackey, from Foxrock, Co Dublin.
Co-accused Andrew Frame, 22, from Donnybrook, Co Dublin, had his manslaughter charge quashed by the judge due to insufficient evidence and he walked free from court after being cleared of violent disorder.
On February 24, 2005, the Court of Criminal Appeal quashed Laide's conviction for manslaughter and ordered a retrial.
The appeal against the manslaughter conviction was brought on three grounds: that the editing process was prejudicial to Laide receiving a fair trial; that he was prejudiced by the media coverage; and that the trial judge, Judge Michael White, had incorrectly instructed the jury on the question of "common design".
The three-judge court upheld the appeal on the first ground only.
Laide had also appealed against his conviction and sentence for violent disorder, but this appeal failed. He served a two-year sentence for violent disorder.
