A man has been arrested in connection with the death of a 78-year-old man who was found dead in unexplained circumstances in the Clare town of Lisdoonvarna on Friday morning.
An Garda Síochána have launched a full criminal investigation after the man's body was found in his home in the popular tourist town. The man has been named locally as John O'Neill, who ran a bed and breakfast in the town.
The suspect, who is in his 30s, was known to O'Neill and is currently being detained at Ennis Garda Station under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act.
State Pathologist Dr. Margaret Bolster has examined the interior of the house, while the Garda Technical Bureau has examined the house and the surrounding area.
O'Neill's body has also been taken to University Hospital Limerick for a post-mortem examination, which will determine how the investigation proceeds.
The Irish Times reports that O'Neill was seriously assaulted and badly beaten before his death.
His death has shocked the Lisdoonvarna community.
Neighbors described O'Neill as a lovely man who was seen regularly in the town. He ran a B&B in the town for many years with his late wife Christine, who died last year after a battle with cancer. The couple also founded the Burren Painting Centre and ran an Airbnb business in recent years.
O'Neill is survived by two adult children and five grandchildren.
Heather Crowe, a neighbor who runs the nearby Ritz Hotel, told RTÉ that locals were deeply upset by the news.
"He was a lovely man and neighbor and I saw him only two days ago," she told RTÉ.
Anyone with any information in relation to this matter should contact Ennistymon Garda Station on 065 707 2180, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda station.
Investigations are ongoing.
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