An inquest in Galway yesterday heard how a man lost his life when members of a Co Tipperary stag party were set upon by a gang in the city centre.
Mr Colm Phelan (26), of Main Street, Roscrea, was pronounced dead at University College Hospital after he and his friends were attacked by between 20 and 25 people in Eyre Square in the early hours of July 21st, 1996.
A friend of the dead man, Mr Eoin Drought, of Roscrea, said the stag party had done "absolutely nothing" to provoke the gang of local youths who appeared to be "ready in waiting" for the Tipperary group beside the public toilets shortly before 2 a.m.
Mr Drought said the trouble began after a local youth approached his group and told them: "Don't f . . . up our town". The youth returned with a gang and began attacking them with broken bottles. He said he found Mr Phelan lying unconscious on the ground.
Ms Ann Rowland said she identified Mr Phelan's body at the hospital at 6.45 a.m. and informed them that he was her daughter's fiance.
Det Garda Anthony Reidy said four men from Galway city had been sentenced in November to between three and five years in prison for the fracas which led to Mr Phelan's death. Dr Charles Connolly, who carried out a post-mortem on Mr Phelan, said he died as a result of a traumatic haemorrhage which was consistent with being struck by a blunt object on the side of his neck.
The Coroner, Dr Kieran McLoughlin, said that what should have been a celebratory weekend turned instead to tragedy and a nightmare for the deceased man's family and friends.
"Galway is normally a welcoming and peaceful city and I hope it will remain so," he told Mr Phelan's family.