Gardaí are expected to launch a murder investigation following the death of a man who had been in a critical condition in recent days after sustaining head injuries in an assault in the early hours of December 23rd.

Andrew Dolan from Carrick-on-Shannon in Co Leitrim sustained serious head injuries when he was knocked to the ground in an incident outside a fast food outlet in Mullingar, Co Westmeath, at about 2.40am.



The 20-year-old had been visiting the town and had been socialising on the night of December 22nd and into the early hours of the following morning.



It is understood an altercation began in a fast food outlet on Pearse Street and later spilled onto the street outside where the dead man sustained his injuries.



Mr Dolan was taken to the Midland Regional Hospital in Mullingar before being transferred to Beaumont Hospital in Dublin.



He never regained consciousness and was pronounced dead at the hospital yesterday evening. A postmortem was to take place today.



Gardaí had already arrested two men, aged 21 and 20 years, and a 19-year-old woman. They were detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act.



They were released without charge following their detention at Mullingar garda station and a file on the incident was being prepared for the DPP.



However, following Mr Dolan’s death gardaí are now expected to launch a murder inquiry and the suspects are likely to be rearrested.



The dead man was a student at NUI Galway and was a son of Carrick-on-Shannon hotelier Joe Dolan.



The family owns the Bush Hotel, a well known business that sponsors the Leitrim GAA team.



Gardaí have appealed for witnesses to come forward and aid their investigation.



Meanwhile, a man is recovering in hospital after having been stabbed in Clonmel, Co Tipperary, in the early hours of yesterday morning.



The incident occurred at around 1.30am on Market St.