Minister asked to contact Czechs over death

Macra na Feirme has written to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Cowen, calling on him to make representations to the Czech authorities for a "proper and thorough investigation" into the death of one of its members. Mr Michael O'Leary (23), from Callan, Co Kilkenny, was found dead last Sunday morning in a public park in Prague. He was there on a trip sponsored by Macra. His remains are expected to return to Ireland later today, though a spokesman for Macra na Feirme said Mr O'Leary's body may remain in Prague if further investigations are carried out.

Mr O'Leary was found dead by Czech police at about 8.30 on Sunday morning following an alert by phone. A colleague, Mr Padraig McNally, was found unconscious nearby. The two had been the last of the Macra party in the Salsa nightclub in the tourist area of the city and were missed by the party at 8 a.m. on Sunday.

Though initial autopsy reports have found Mr O'Leary died of a combination of alcohol and some form of medication, a full toxicology report may not be available until the middle of next week. Mr O'Leary's family have been told that the Czech authorities are not treating his death as murder. However, Macra na Feirme president Mr T.J. Maher said there was a conviction among others on the trip that Mr O'Leary's and Mr McNally's drinks may have been "spiked". Neither was harmed or beaten, according to Mr Shane O'Keeffe of Kilkenny Macra, who had also been on the trip, though both had been robbed.

"From what we have learned, incidents of this nature are a regular occurrence in Prague but usually do not have such a tragic outcome . . . Since we have arrived home we have learned that this incident is being presented as a simple case of overindulgence. We do not believe that this reflects what happened."