A MAN in his 40s was being detained for questioning last night in connection with the death of a patient in a psychiatric ward at Cavan General Hospital.
The man who died was aged 82 and was named locally as Michael Tranor from Davagh, Etra, near Emyvale in Co Monaghan.
He is believed to have been suffering from dementia.
His body was discovered at the hospital at 7am yesterday.
The results of a postmortem had not been released last night but it is understood he was smothered. Gardaí sealed off the scene where the body was found and it was forensically examined by members of the Garda Technical Bureau.
It is understood the man now being questioned by gardaí at Cavan Garda station was also a patient at the hospital. He is being held under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act.
Gardaí are today expected to upgrade their investigation from a suspicious death case to a murder inquiry.
The Health Service Executive, which runs the hospital, said a review would be carried out into the circumstances of the patient’s death.
In a statement it said: “The HSE can confirm that an unexpected death occurred in mental health services in Cavan General Hospital.
“The HSE can confirm that all appropriate procedures are being followed and the HSE has informed the Mental Health Commission, as is required by legislation.
“This is now a matter for the gardaí and the HSE will be co-operating fully with Garda investigations”.
It added the HSE was providing support to patients, their families and staff at this time and it had expressed its sympathy to the family of the deceased.