A 41-year-old man was last night in a critical condition in hospital following a brawl at a GAA club in the midlands early yesterday morning.
Meanwhile, a woman whose body was discovered in a burnt-out caravan in Co Clare is not expected to be formally identified for a number of days.
The man received severe head injuries in a fight in a sports club in Mullingar at a 21st birthday party. The incident occurred between 1.30am and 2am when a row erupted at St Loman's GAA club on Delvin Road, Mullingar.
Up to 130 people were in the club when the fight broke out inside the venue and then continued outside. It is understood a dispute arose between two men and the victim received a number of punches to the head.
The injured man was taken to Mullingar General Hospital, but his injuries were so severe he was rushed by ambulance to Beaumont Hospital in Dublin where he was operated on later yesterday. The scene was sealed off for forensic investigation and gardaí in Mullingar have asked witnesses to the incident to contact them.
"We are appealing to anyone who attended the club or who may have witnessed the alleged assault to contact us on 044- 48915," said Insp Denis Shields of Mullingar Garda station.
In the Co Clare fire incident, a postmortem was carried out over the weekend on the body of the woman in her 20s. The results were inconclusive and further tests are to be undertaken at University College Hospital Galway to establish the exact cause of her death.
The body was removed there following its discovery on Friday in a field in Ballybornagh, Co Clare, a remote area between Tubber and Kinvarra in Co Galway.
Gardaí in Gort, Co Galway, are investigating the incident. They are keeping an open mind about the cause of her death. It is understood the body was discovered by the woman's partner.
Garda forensic experts carried out a detailed examination of the scene, which remained sealed off over the weekend for further examination.
The woman killed in a road traffic accident near Birdhill, Co Tipperary, on Saturday night was named yesterday as Mary Gunson (28), from Ballintinoe, Nenagh. She died when a car in which she was a passenger was in collision with another car at Ballyhane, Birdhill, at 9.25pm. Gardaí in Killaloe are investigating.