A man in his 20s has been charged in connection with the tragic death of Roy Hopkins in Co Kildare.
Hopkins, 34, was taken to hospital in Naas, Co Kildare with serious head injuries on Friday night following an alleged assault but was later pronounced dead.
The man is due to appear before the Naas District Court this afternoon.
Tributes were paid yesterday to the Hopkins who gardai believe was assaulted at Glenaree Bridge in Rathangan shortly after 9pm.
His death marks a double tragedy in recent years for the highly-respected family.
His sister Debbie – her mother Catriona’s only daughter – died in 2014 after battling cancer.
Senator Fiona O’Loughlin, from Rathangan, told Dublin Live: “My deepest sympathies are with Caitriona.
“No family should ever have to go through something like this and the fact she has lost two children in a relatively short space of time is awful.
“It’s an awful tragedy and absolutely everyone in Rathangan is devastated waking up to that news.
“It’s also a tragedy for Rathangan, which is a really lovely community and a great place to live.”
Kildare County Councillor Ann Connolly said incidents like this do not come often to the close-knit community in the quiet West Kildare village.
She added: “We’ve a very, very quiet community, a very close-knit community and we have never had anything like this.
“So, needless to say, everyone is shocked and saddened.”
