A man in his 40s has been arrested in connection with the death of a prisoner who was stabbed in his cell at Wheatfield Prison in Dublin.
Brendan Gahan, from Tallaght, died after he was stabbed in the back of the head while in his jail cell at around 10pm on Thursday night. The attack happened inside the prison, which is located in Clondalkin on the outskirts of Dublin city.
Gardai launched a murder investigation following the incident, and a man in his 40s was subsequently arrested as part of that probe. It is understood the suspect was already an inmate at the facility at the time of the killing.
Wheatfield Place of Detention is a closed medium-security prison that holds adult male offenders. It is one of the larger prisons in the Irish Prison Service estate and has been the scene of serious incidents in the past.
The Irish Prison Service confirmed the death and said it is cooperating fully with the Garda investigation. A post-mortem examination was carried out to establish the exact cause of death.
Gahan, who was originally from the Tallaght area of south Dublin, was named locally in the hours following the incident. Tributes have been paid to him by people who knew him from the area.
Gardai are continuing to appeal for any information that could assist the investigation. The scene inside the prison was preserved overnight to allow for a full forensic examination.
The death has once again raised questions about safety inside Irish prisons, where violence between inmates remains an ongoing concern for prison staff and management alike. The Irish Prison Service has faced repeated scrutiny over the years regarding its ability to protect vulnerable prisoners and manage tensions within its facilities.
Investigations into the full circumstances of what happened on Thursday night are continuing.