Gardaí arrest two over attack on pensioner

GARDAÍ investigating a serious assault on a pensioner, who was attacked as he made his way home from his local pub, have arrested and questioned two youths.

Eamon Horan, 75, was beaten, kicked and left bleeding on the ground in the incident that occurred as he left a pub in Tralee, Co Kerry, in the early hours of July 27.

The retired sports journalist had his jaw broken in two places, suffered a fractured nose and sustained other head, chest and facial injuries.

A male, who is under age, was arrested in Tralee on Monday and released that night after being questioned by detectives leading the investigation.

A file in relation to that arrest is being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions.

A second male, also a juvenile, was arrested yesterday and was being questioned at Tralee Garda Station under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984.

Mr Horan, who suffers from a heart condition, told gardaí that he was approached and asked for money before he was assaulted.

His attackers fled when a taxi driver stopped and ran to assist Mr Horan.

The retired reporter was treated for his injuries in Kerry General Hospital but was later sent to Cork University Hospital (CUH) for specialist treatment.

He was sent home because no bed was available but he was eventually admitted to CUH, where he received three blood transfusions to treat a prolonged nose bleed caused by the attack.

He was transferred to the South Infirmary Hospital in Cork for further treatment and is now recovering.

Mr Horan’s daughter, Carla, criticised the health service for adding to her father’s stress in the aftermath.

“It has been absolute hell. Dad was placed under undue stress because of the lack of direct access to appropriate treatment,” she said.