A father of five children was last night in a critical condition in Ennis General Hospital after being assaulted in the Co Clare village of Kildysart on Sunday night.
Vincent Hehir (33), of Glencanauane, Kildysart, was found collapsed in the main street of Kildysart with serious head injuries at about 11.30pm on Sunday.
Earlier in the night his sister dropped Mr Hehir off to a pub in the village, and it is believed that later in the night Mr Hehir was the victim of an assault that involved three or four people.
No arrests have yet been made in the Garda investigation, but statements have been taken from a number of people at or near the scene.
Mr Hehir, who lives in the UK where he runs a pub, was home to visit his mother and father.
His youngest child is two months old, and he has four other children up to nine years of age.
Yesterday his wife was travelling to Ennis to be at his bedside at the intensive care unit in Ennis General Hospital.
Supt Éamon Dolan yesterday appealed for witnesses to the incident.
He said: "We have a number of detectives assisting the local gardaí in the investigation.
"I am appealing to anyone who was in Kildysart village last night between 11pm and 1am this morning to contact Kilrush Garda station."
