A MAN is clinging to his life after being battered across the head with a baseball bat in broad daylight.

Shoppers and passers-by looked on in horror as Taiwo Jamani (45) was savagely attacked in Swords, Co Dublin.

A fight between Mr Jamani and another man spilled out onto the middle of Swords' Main Street and resulted in the victim being left unconscious.

Eye witnesses described the scenes as "mayhem" and said the injured man suffered a violent blow to the back of the head.

"Then the man with the bat held it high over his head and brought it down hard on the other man's head and he just slumped to the ground," said witness Alan Murphy.

Sources said that the victim is currently on life-support machine in Beaumont Hospital last night, while the other man was in custody.

Gardai believe the pair knew each other and were involved in a "long running and personal dispute". Both are from Nigeria.

Mr Jamani, who runs a computer repair company and previously lived in Cork, was left seriously injured.

Traffic in Swords was brought to a standstill as the two men fought at around 12.50pm yesterday.

Shoppers were shocked as the fight ended up on the road, and witnesses described their shock as they saw Mr Jamani fall to the ground unconscious.

The street was closed to traffic as emergency crews worked to stabilise his condition.

At the same time his attacker paced the street until gardai came and he was taken into custody.

Pushing

"First they were pushing and shoving. I think one was waiting for the other because the boot of his car was open and there were two bats in it even before the fight began," he told the Herald.

Gardai preserved the scene for several hours while a forensic examination took place.

One garda from the technical bureau photographed the scene, including a baseball glove found on the rear seat of the blue 00 Cork registered BMW car.

At the scene the victim's bloodstained clothing could be seen, as well as medical swabs and a scissors used by the emergency crews to cut clothing from the victim.

Gardai confirmed a 37-year-old man had been arrested and was in custody in Coolock garda station. He must be charged or released by this evening.

hnews@herald.ie