Area at Ballyfin Demesne hotel sealed off as crime scene after fatal attack – The Irish Times

An area at the five-star Ballyfin Demesne Hotel in Co Laois has been cordoned off as a crime scene after a man died there in violent circumstances on Tuesday evening, not long after arriving from the United States.

Although an autopsy of the victim’s remains was awaited to confirm the direction of the ongoing criminal investigation, all resources for a murder investigation have been allocated to the case.

The victim of Tuesday night’s fatal attack is in his 60s and was a guest at the hotel, where he was found injured and unconscious in one of the communal areas.

A man arrested by gardaí for questioning after the apparently fatal attack is in his 30s. The Irish Times understands the victim and the arrested man knew each other.

The arrested man, who was said to have “vulnerabilities”, has been detained under section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act at a Garda station in the east of the country. This allows gardaí to question the man without charge for up to 24 hours, after which he must be charged with a crime or released without charge.

“Gardaí are investigating all circumstances surrounding the death,” a Garda statement said. The Garda Technical Bureau and the Office of the State Pathologist were contacted to attend the scene, which involved a bathroom or changing area in a communal facility at the hotel.

Gardaí said a senior investigating officer has been appointed to lead the investigation and an incident room has been set up at Portlaoise Garda station. A family liaison has been appointed to support the family of the deceased.

Ballyfin Demesne – where a one-night stay costs between €600 and €2,500 – is located at the foot of the Slieve Bloom mountains in 600 hectares of parkland.

Since opening in 2011, it has hosted many celebrities, including George Clooney and his wife Amal, as well as Kanye West and Kim Kardashian, who honeymooned there.