A man in his 30s has been arrested in relation to the fatal assault of Tommy Dooley at a cemetery in Tralee, Co Kerry, on Wednesday.
Gardai arrested the man in the early hours of Thursday morning in Cork.
He is currently detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984, at Tralee Garda Station.
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Mr Dooley, 40s, was stabbed to death while attending the funeral of a friend, while his wife Siobhan, 40s, also sustained serious injuries.
The couple, from Killarney, were in Tralee’s Rathass Cemetery for the interring of family friend Bridget O’Brien, who died suddenly on Sunday, following requiem mass when they were both attacked and stabbed at around 11.45am.
Mr Dooley was pronounced dead at the scene by ambulance personnel, and his body was taken to University Hospital Kerry.
A post-mortem examination is expected to be carried out by Dr Collis, Office of the State Pathologist, at University Hospital Kerry, Tralee, later this morning.
Meanwhile, Mrs Dooley remained in the hospital overnight, where she is being treated for non-life threatening injuries.
The scene is currently preserved by Kerry Divisional Scenes of Crime Unit for a full technical examination.
An incident room has been established at Tralee Garda Station, and a Senior Investigating Officer has been appointed.
It is understood that the attacker and others had been in dispute with Mr Dooley over personal issues for a number of years.
Mr Dooley was a well-known member of the travelling community, and relatives and friends spoke of their horror last night online.
One said: “Rip to my cousin Tom Dooley, a gentleman. Please god look over your family at this hard time.”
And another said: ”RIP Tom Dooley. Mad Tom. Killarney won’t be the same without you. Sadly missed by all your friends and family. Fly high Mad Tom. Get the best bed up there and look down on your family at this time.”
A garda spokesperson said: “Investigating Gardaí continue to appeal for witnesses to come forward and for any person with camera footage to make it available to them.
“Anyone with information is asked to contact the incident room at Tralee Garda Station on 066 710 2300, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda Station.
“The investigation is ongoing and further updates will follow.”
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