Gardai are on the search for "at least five men" following the brutal attack of Dylan McCarthy in the early hours of Sunday morning.
The 29-year-old had been out with his family in a Monasterevin pub in Co Kildare to celebrate the birth of his niece when a row broke out.
Dylan sadly passed away in Tallaght Hospital in south Dublin on Monday afternoon due to his injuries.
As gardai continue their probe, sources have said detectives now have a full picture of what happened on the night.
Timeline
Sunday, August 21
Gardai and emergency services were called to the scene on Dublin Street in Monasterevin following reports of an altercation involving a group of people at the entrance of a premises in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Upon arrival, Dylan McCarthy was found unresponsive and was rushed to Tallaght Hospital shortly after 12.30am.
A second man, aged in his 50s, was treated for serious injuries at the scene and was transferred to hospital, where his condition was described as serious.
Gardai believe the pair were targeted by a group at a pub when a row broke out on the dance floor before they were followed out onto the road.
Dylan was knocked to the ground, and it's thought he suffered several blows to the head.
Monday, August 22
The 29-year-old lost his battle for life in Tallaght Hospital on Monday afternoon despite doctors' best efforts.
Dylan, originally from the Kilmallock area of Limerick and who had recently moved to Cork, sustained serious head injuries following the attack and was unable to recover.
His 51-year-old father, Eamon, also suffered facial wounds and was brought to Portlaoise Hospital, where he is said to be in serious condition.
The local community were left devastated by the news of Dylan's passing, with local priest Fr Chris O'Donnell saying the entire community had been left in a state of shock.
He told RTE's Morning Ireland: "There are no words. It's sadly unimaginable really, and there's been a few tragedies, even in Limerick just in the last few days as well.
"As a community, our thoughts are with Dylan's family, his parents and sister. They're just such a good quiet, unassuming family who are held in great esteem here.
"We're devastated for them. I wish they and other innocent families could be spared these tragic events. It's like there's a cloud or a blanket of sadness resting on the town of Kilmallock and also the neighbouring parishes.
"People are devastated. Just a lot of sorrow and sadness, disbelief and anger really."
Tuesday, August 23
Gardai continued their investigation on Tuesday as they tried to identify people in the Kildare pub at the time of the row.
Up to 30 people are believed to have been in The Bellyard Bar in the early hours of Sunday when the incident occurred.
Detectives are circulating CCTV footage of the scene in a bid to identify males present on the night in question.
It is thought that at least five men were involved in the attack.
A friend of Dylan's was also struck but did not have to be hospitalised.
Gardai confirmed on Tuesday that a murder investigation had not yet been launched but said all necessary resources, similar to that of a homicide investigation, were being allocated.
Wednesday, August 24
Detectives are now awaiting the post-mortem examination results to determine their next move.
Gardai hope the examination results will reveal whether Dylan's death was the result of blows delivered by the attackers or if he subsequently fell over and hit his head.
A source who witnessed the row said: "It was a silly row, as is often the way.
"There were a couple of people on the dancefloor, and they got into a minor altercation with other people nearby.
"It just escalated from there. There was some pushing and shoving, and a window was broken, and the next thing there is a full-scale row. It is tragic that the whole thing started over something so trivial
It's understood the suspects for the attack are all from the Monasterevin area and came across Dylan and other family members purely by chance.
Sources have also warned that officers may not be able to prove which attacker – if any- delivered the fatal blow.
Instead, they may try to have a suspect or suspects charged with manslaughter or serious assault.
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