Gardaí in Limerick were last night awaiting the results of a postmortem examination following the violent death of a man in Southill in the early hours of yesterday morning.
The victim has been named locally as 33-year-old Patrick Coleman, who was originally from Co Kildare but who had been living in the area for several years.
His body was discovered shortly after 1am yesterday when gardaí were called to his home in John Carew Park.
"This unfortunate man lost his life as a result of a violent act and consequently our investigation is pitched at the level of a murder investigation," said Supt Frank O'Brien of Roxboro gardaí.
Two teenage boys presented themselves at Roxboro Garda station yesterday afternoon as detectives carried out house-to-house inquiries in the shocked neighbourhood.
"These young boys presented themselves at the Garda station accompanied by their parents and we are very, very glad of that and consequently we hope that we will be able to move the investigation along much, much quicker," said Supt O'Brien.
A large area in the vicinity of the house remained sealed off last night as Garda search teams looked for the murder weapon. It is believed that Mr Coleman was attacked 100 yards from his home as he returned there from a night out in Limerick City.
"This violent incident occurred on the link road that links the Childers Road and the main Limerick bypass and it would be a route taken by this man home. He had been socialising in Limerick city and it was his natural route and the indications are that on his way home a violent incident occurred which led directly to his death," said Supt O'Brien.
Last night a postmortem examination was due to be completed by the State Pathologist, Dr Marie Cassidy, and members of the Garda Technical Bureau were also assisting local gardaí with their investigations.
In a separate incident investigations are also continuing following a shooting incident at a local soccer pitch in the Janesboro area of Limerick yesterday. A 26-year-old man was hospitalised after he was shot in the knee. His injuries are not life threatening.