An American man who was found dead in the leisure area of a five-star hotel in the Republic was the victim of a “sustained” assault, gardai believe.
The victim, a US national who was in his 60s, had only flown into Ireland a number of hours before he was allegedly attacked in a bathroom of the exclusive Ballyfin Demesne hotel in Co Laois.
The incident happened at around 8pm on Tuesday night. Hotel staff discovered the man’s body and emergency services quickly rushed to the scene and the suspect was arrested.
The suspect, who is in his 30s, required medical treatment in hospital in the aftermath of his arrest.
He was not deemed fit to be interviewed by gardai until late Wednesday morning.
Investigations have established that the suspect had recently required treatment for medical issues at a hospital in Dublin.
It is unclear where he met his alleged victim earlier on Tuesday after the man had flown into the country from the US.
But both men then checked in together into the well-known Co Laois hotel where the fatal assault happened.
It is understood that the assault was “sustained” in nature. The case is being described as “extremely tragic”.
The services of the Garda Technical Bureau and Office of the State Pathologist were requested.
The hotel is one of Ireland’s most exclusive accommodation options, with celebrities regularly staying in the luxury hotel.
The library at Ballyfin Demesne in Co Laois
Ballyfin hit global headlines in 2014 after celebrity couple Kim Kardashian and Kanye West stayed there as part of their five-day Irish honeymoon.
There was deep shock in the local community on Wednesday as news of the tragic death spread.
The owner of the Deadman’s Inn, Ger Whelan, said there was a lot of Garda activity in the quiet area on Tuesday night.
His pub is located a short distance from the entrance to the upmarket hotel.
He said: “I heard it on the news this morning, a hotel in the north of the county. My wife was working here last night and she said to me this morning, ‘there was a lot of activity with guards around the area’.”
“But we hadn’t a clue until the news this morning.”
Ballyfin Demesne in Co Laois
Mr Whelan said the hotel is a well regarded employer and many of the staff are from the Laois area.
He added: “There is shock. You don’t go in there without a booking. There is no way you’d get past that gate unless you’re either booked for dinner, you are staff, or you’re booked to stay. That’s the only way you’d get past that gate.”
Ballyfin Demesne’s secluded setting, luxurious accommodation and five-star welcome have attracted high-profile celebrity weddings down through the years.
George and Amal Clooney rented out the entire property in 2019 for a reunion of George’s Irish cousins, and Ballyfin was named as the top hotel in the world to make you feel special, in the Hideaway Report’s 2018 Members’ Choice Award.
The estate’s original residents were the Coote family. Ballyfin then came into the ownership of the Patrician Brothers who ran it as a school.
After that school closed, the house was later purchased and restored over a nine-year period by the American electronics tycoon Fred Krehbiel, now deceased. His sons, Liam and Jay Krehbiel, are the current owners.
The hotel opened in 2011 and offers guests activities including carriage rides, picnics, fishing, archery, clay pigeon shooting and butler service.
The hotel is set back from the main gates by a mile-and-a-half-long driveway.
The restoration of the hotel included adding six bedrooms and millions of euro were invested as part of the refurbishment.
Ballyfin Demesne did not reply to a request for comment.