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Gardaí said that “for operational reasons” they would not releasing the results of a post mortem on the body of a man who died after he was assaulted in Limerick city at the weekend.
Alan Bourke, 48,who was capped by the Republic of Ireland junior soccer team in the 1990s, was found unconscious and with serious injuries at Colbert Station Plaza, Parnell Street, around 10.25pm, on Friday night.
He was rushed by ambulance to University Hospital Limerick where he died shortly afterwards.
It is understood Mr Bourke died from serious head injuries. The assault scene was marked on Sunday by bouquets of flowers.
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Limerick city had been particularly busy on Friday evening with travelling rugby fans socialising ahead of the Munster versus Exeter game on Saturday.
Gardaí believe a number of people may have witnessed the fatal assault and have again appealed for anyone with either mobile phone video or dash cam footage to make it available to them.
Gardaí would not comment on the investigation other than to confirm it was ongoing and that no arrests had been made but a spokesman said: “We can confirm that a post-mortem examination was completed by Dr Sally Ann Collis, State Pathologist, the results of which are not being released for operational reasons at this time.”
Tributes were paid over the weekend to Mr Bourke, a native of St Mary’s Park, who was a well known sportsman in the 1990s.
He is remembered as a talented striker with Mungret Regional FC and a skilled rugby player with St Mary’s rugby club.
Limerick soccer correspondent Mike Aherne said “Alan was synonymous with the glory days of Mungret Regional and was regarded as one of the leading strikers in the league for which he got richly deserved recognition, culminating in being capped for the Republic of Ireland junior soccer team”.
Speaking on behalf of Mr Bourke’s former teammates and friends at Mungret Regional Club Chairman, Tony O’Byrne said: “Alan was definitely a huge part of the team back then, he would have had scored 20 plus goals a season, he wore the club’s number 9 shirt, he was a real goal poacher, and he was a really talented player for the club.”
A minute’s silence was observed at district soccer matches across the city and county on Sunday as a mark of respect.
Friends of Mr Bourke, a number of whom paid tribute to him on social media, said he had spent time living in Cork but had recently returned to his native Limerick in search of accommodation.
He had “fallen on hard times” and was struggling with addictions in recent years, they said.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Roxboro Road Garda Station on 061 214 340, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda station.