A man charged in connection with a ‘pile-driver’ attack in Cork city over Christmas is likely to face more serious charges.

An onlooker’s 15-second video clip of the incident went viral, after being posted on Twitter, on St Stephen’s Day, by a woman who has had her account suspended for breaches of the social media company’s policies.

The clip shows two young men grappling and throwing punches close to Christy Ring Bridge, in the city centre, as they wrestle with each other across the road, from Camden Quay towards Carroll’s Quay.

The clip then shows one of the men picking the other up, upending him, and driving him head first onto the ground. The sound of his head hitting the tarmac can be heard, before the recording ends abruptly.

The clip has been shared widely across various social media platforms and messaging apps. The clip has been viewed over 41,000 times.

That Tweet triggered wild speculation, including mistaken links to a previous serious assault off St Patrick’s St, several months ago, which led to the death of a man, in hospital, some weeks later, and incorrect suggestions that the injured party in the video clip had died.

Gardaí have now confirmed that the incident in the video clip occurred close to Carroll’s Quay, at around 1am on Monday, December 23. The injured man, who has an address in Cork, was brought to Cork University Hospital for treatment and has since been discharged. He is understood to be receiving follow-up treatment.

A garda spokesman said they arrested, and charged, a man in his 20s, with an address in Dublin, in relation to a public order incident on Carroll’s Quay, Cork, that occurred shortly after 1am on December 23.

The man appeared before Cork City District Court later that morning and was remanded in custody until December 27. He appeared in court again last Friday and was released on bail.

However, garda investigations are continuing and the man is likely to face more serious charges.