Two men have been arrested over the death of Alan Hall (45) in a house in Clondalkin, Dublin last month.
The exact cause of the Mr Hall’s death remains unclear. He was found with extensive injuries consistent with an attack but there are also signs of smoke inhalation.
A postmortem could not definitively state if the victim was murdered, meaning the investigation has not yet been upgraded to a murder inquiry. Gardaí are hoping the arrest and questioning of the two men, who are in their 30s, will progress the investigation.
On Monday the Garda said it was treating the death as having occurred in “unexplained circumstances.”
One line of inquiry is Mr Hall fell asleep or went unconscious as a result of his injuries before a fire broke out in the home.
The two suspects were arrested Monday morning in the Dublin area and are currently detained under section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984 at Clondalkin and Lucan Garda stations.
Mr Hall was found dead at a property in Bluebell Avenue on May 18th which had been extensively damaged by smoke due to a fire. A postmortem was carried out the following day.
Last month gardaí based in the Clondalkin station issued an appeal for assistance from members of the public, including those who knew Mr Hall.
The dead man is understood to have lived alone at the house on Bluebell Avenue and was receiving assistance from homeless services.
Mr Hall is understood to have previously worked as a butcher and while he was known to gardaí he was not a serious criminal and he had not come to the attention of the Garda for some time.
He returned to the house at some stage on Sunday, May 17th but his body was only discovered the following morning after neighbours were alerted by the fire alarm.
Dublin Fire Brigade attended the scene and discovered Mr Hall's remains. Supt Seamus Dalton then said gardaí were "conducting a criminal investigation into all the circumstances" surrounding the case.
He appealed to anybody who was in the vicinity of Bluebell Avenue or the Old Naas Road, Dublin 12, on either the evening of Sunday May 17th or the morning of Monday May 18th to contact the Garda at 01-6667600, the Garda Confidential Number 1800 666 111 or any Garda Station.
A spokesperson for the homeless group Lending Hand said following Mr Hall’s death that he was “one of the nicest, soundest blokes. He didn’t deserve the way he died, no human does and not anyone that is like Alan.
“Even though he had his own troubles, he would always make us laugh, loved a chat and a slagging match.
“There is a massive hole in our hearts. Alan, we hope you get the best bed in heaven and hope you’re at peace, goodnight buddy, we will miss you.”
