Man fights for life after assault at Tipperary home

An argument over money is believed to have been at the centre of a serious assault which has left a 66-year-old man fighting for his life in hospital.

Gardaí believe PJ Kelly, who lives at Kilcaroon outside Ballyporeen in south Tipperary, was struck with a domestic implement during an altercation that broke out in his house, with a man he knew, at about 3.40pm on Thursday.

Gardaí confirmed Mr Kelly, a separated father of two originally from Galway, suffered “serious head injuries” in the incident and remained in a critical condition in hospital yesterday.

It is understood the injured party has been running a type of “unofficial hostel” for some time and the suspect in this case had been staying there for a number of weeks. The men are believed to have been arguing about money before the assault took place.

An 18-year-old man was arrested later that day in Cahir and has been questioned in the local station by gardaí under section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act.

It is believed the man is from the Clonmel area and went to the Garda station in Cahir with his parents on Thursday night.

Meanwhile, a man is due to be charged this morning in connection with a shooting incident at a pub in Sallynoggin, Dublin this week.

The man, who is in his 30s, will be brought to court in relation to the incident in which a man aged 45 was injured shortly after midnight last Monday.