Gardaí in Cork are investigating the circumstances surrounding a fatal assault which led to the death of a homeless man in hospital in the city earlier this week.

French national Vincent Morgain (37) died in the Mercy University Hospital on Tuesday after suffering injuries in an assault in the city centre on September 10th.

Mr Morgain, who had been living in Cork for a number of years, was drinking with up to eight other people on Lower Oliver Plunkett Street at around 2.30pm last Thursday when a row broke out.

It is understood he received a number of blows to the head before he fell to the ground and struck his head. He was rushed by ambulance to the Mercy University Hospital.

Mr Morgain was put on a life support machine but died on Tuesday after his family travelled from France and gave permission for his organs to be harvested.

Gardaí under Supt Tom Myers of Anglesea Street station began an investigation and have spoken to a number of people who were in the area at the time. A number of witness statements have been taken.

Detectives have also carried out door to door inquiries in the area and begun examining CCTV footage from a number of premises to try to establish what happened.

Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster carried out a post-mortem on Mr Morgain’s remains on Wednesday but gardaí are not releasing the results for operational reasons.

Supt Myers said gardaí were anxious to hear from anyone who may have seen Mr Morgain - who lived at the Simon Hostel on Anderson’s Quay - on the afternoon of September 10th.

He said Mr Morgain was 5ft 9in tall with a beard and of medium build. He was wearing a dark navy top, navy tracksuit pants and dark runners at the time. Anyone with any information is asked to contact Anglesea Street station on (021) 4520000.