A man who died after a serious assault has been named locally as 48-year-old John Butler.
Gardai were called to the scene at a house in Portlaw, Co Waterford, in the early hours of Saturday morning.
It’s believed the alleged assault occurred after an argument broke out between two men who had been socialising with each other at a pub in the town.
It’s understood the victim received serious injuries after he was brutally attacked by someone said to be using a blunt object who fled the scene before returning to the same pub.
A young man, aged in his 20s, who is believed to be known to Mr Butler, was detained in Tramore Garda station on Saturday where he was held for questioning.
Emergency services rushed to the scene after locals reported the incident and the victim was taken to University Hospital Waterford, where he was pronounced dead a short time later.
The scene on Brown Street remained preserved on Saturday afternoon for technical examination.
Gardai said they are investigating all of the circumstances of his death while the services of the State Pathologist and Garda Technical Bureau were requested.
A post mortem examination is scheduled to take place on Sunday which Gardai have said will determine the nature of the investigation.
The victim is originally from Carrick on Suir, but had been living and working Portlaw for a number of years.
He was also believed to be a volunteer and co-founder of the Portlaw Men’s Shed.
Sinn Fein Councillor Declan Clune said that the local community was in “shock” following the incident.
He said: “There’s no two ways about, it’s an absolute tragedy”.
“The whole place is in absolute shock”.
Mr Clune added that it was a particularly distressing because of how tightly-knit the community is.
“There’s only about 1200 people in the greater area”
“It’s such a small community, everybody knows everybody”.
