GARDAÍ IN Cork were last night awaiting the results of a postmortem by Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster on the body of a 37-year-old man in the hope of identifying a cause of death.
Ian Queally (37), originally from Clover Lawn, Skehard Road, in Blackrock, Cork, but who was living near Victoria Cross, died late on Tuesday night at Cork University Hospital after being on a life support machine for a number of days.
He had been admitted to the hospital on May 14th when he presented himself with head injuries before collapsing. He underwent emergency surgery and was transferred to the intensive care unit where he remained in a critical condition until his death.
It is understood Mr Queally told hospital staff he had been involved in a fight the previous night.
Detectives have established Mr Queally was brought to hospital by taxi at about midday on May 14th. They have spoken to the taxi driver and established he spent the night of May 13th/May 14th in a house in the Deerpark area.
Gardaí are trying to establish whether Mr Queally was involved in a row with someone in the house. One line of inquiry being pursued is that he may have suffered a head injury after being knocked down the stairs.
Local Garda technical officers preserved the house on Tuesday, and yesterday members of the Garda Technical Bureau travelled from Dublin to Cork to carry out a forensic examination of the house.
Mr Queally was involved with the Cork Arts Theatre Club where he acted and worked as a stage designer. His father is well-known Cork actor Jim Queally, who has appeared in the TV comedy series Killnaskully.
Mr Queally had been due to travel to the US to visit his mother last week. It is understood his mother instead returned to Ireland when he took ill and she was present at the hospital with other family members when life support was switched off.
Supt Mick Finn, of Anglesea Street Garda station, heading up the investigation, said gardaí are anxious to speak to anyone who may have seen Mr Queally in Cork city centre on the afternoon or evening of Tuesday May 13th.
Supt Finn said gardaí have a sighting of Mr Queally on his black mountain bike in Oliver Plunkett Street at 6pm but they are anxious to talk to anyone who may have seen him after that, possibly making his way to the house in Deerpark via Barrack Street.
Mr Queally was wearing blue jeans, black shoes, striped shirt and black zip-up jacket with a red stripe, and a distinctive hunting-style hat with a wide brim and carrying a laptop bag, said Supt Finn.
