A man (29) was remanded in custody this morning over the 2009 death of Offaly publican Matt Farrell.
Eddie Wing (29) who has a temporary address at Limerick St, Roscrea, was arrested in the town last night and brought to Tullamore Garda station where he was charged with manslaughter and burglary at the Gaelic Bar on April 1st 2009.
At Tullamore District Court Sgt Jer Glavin said Mr Wing made no reply when charged with these offences and four other burglaries at pubs in the midlands in February 2009.
Mr Wing was remanded in custody to appear at Cloverhill District Court Friday, October 22nd when a further bail application may be made.
Matt Farrell (64) was discovered by his son Matthew at his premises, the Gaelic Bar on Molesworth Street in Daingean, Co Offaly.
A postmortem showed he had died as a result of injuries he sustained to his head.
Mr Wing also faces charges of theft at four other licensed premises including The Hawthorn in Ballacolla, Co Laois; The Elbow Bar in Moate, Co Westmeath; Shortall‘s Public House, Castlecomer, Co Kilkenny; and Dan and Molly’s in Ballyboy, Co Offaly.
The Courts Service said he was also charged with theft from a private residence in Cullenagh, Portlaoise, Co Laois. The offences are alleged to have happened in January and February 2009.
Mr Justice William Hamill remanded Wing in custody to appear again at a sitting of the district court in Cloverhill on October 22nd. Gardaí objected to bail.
Mr Farrell, a father of five, was a well respected businessman who ran the Gaelic Bar for over 30 years.
More than 1,000 statements were taken during an extensive Garda operation that spanned three counties in the months after Mr Farrell‘s death. Several people have been arrested and questioned.
Crimestoppers and Mr Farrell’s family have offered a reward for information that will lead to a prosecution.
PA