Gardaí in Coolock, Dublin, investigating the murder of a teenager were last night concentrating their inquiries on two groups of youths in the area.
The gardaí conducted door-to-door inquiries in the Coolock area yesterday in search of a gang of between six and eight youths they believe were involved in the fatal stabbing of Mr Alan Higgins (17), from Donaghmede, at the weekend.
Supt Michael Byrne, of Coolock Garda Station, said there were two gangs of teenagers in the area, including boys and girls, members of which were known to the gardaí and "both groups were under investigation".
He said they had spoken to "hundreds of young people" in the area and had more interviews to conduct, but they were still appealing for anyone with information to come forward.
Mr Higgins died after he was stabbed twice in the chest near the UCI cinema in Coolock on Saturday night. He had left the cinema with his girlfriend shortly after 11 p.m. and then walked alone down a pathway in the direction of Donaghmede. A short distance from the cinema he was set upon by the gang of teenagers. He was stabbed and his mobile phone and wallet were stolen.
Mr Higgins managed to crawl back to the cinema and was taken to Beaumont Hospital, where he died some hours later.
Mr Higgins, who had heart problems as a child, survived a battle with leukaemia. His godfather, Mr John Kelly, spoke of the boy's battle with the disease on RTÉ Radio yesterday.
"He went through five years of heartbreak [with leukaemia] and he went through all the mental and physical things that occur out of that as a kid." In the last two years his health and strength had grown, Mr Kelly said: "He was a good- looking guy with brains and a great sense of reality."
Mr Kelly said the family were appealing to anyone who was in the area where the attack took place or anyone who thinks they may have information about the attackers to contact the gardaí.
"As part of the healing process, I think it's important that everybody understands that we do find people for this," he said. "Justice at the end of the day needs to be done . . . The most important thing is that this doesn't happen again."
Gardaí in Kevin Street were last night trying to establish a motive for the second fatal stabbing in the capital last weekend. Mr Joseph Sutcliffe (32), a former all-Ireland champion boxer, was found stabbed at the Fatima Mansions flat complex in the south inner city.
Gardaí are appealing for people who were in the area between midnight and 3 a.m. on Sunday morning to come forward.
