EIGHT PEOPLE HAVE been arrested by gardaí investigating the murder of a man in County Kildare last January.

Mark Loughlin was attacked in the Allenwood South area of the county in the early hours of 3 January.

Sources have said that he was attacked by a group of people and had earlier in the night been involved in a road crash.

This morning gardaí arrested eight people, including a teenager, as they investigate the crime.

A spokesman said that the operation involved officers from across Kildare and Laois/Offaly Divisions during which they carried out a number of searches.

“The 8 arrested persons, 6 men, 1 woman and 1 male juvenile, are currently being detained at stations in Kildare and Laois under the provisions of Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984 and Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act, 1939-98.

“Investigations are ongoing,” the spokesman said.

Those detained under the Criminal Justice Act can be held for a maximum of 24 hours while the Offences Against the State Act allow for a maximum of three days.

Sources have said that the victim was assaulted in connection with the earlier road crash.

Father of two Mark Loughlin was from Greenwood Park, Edenderry, Co Offaly. In early 2020 he was convicted of a violent assault of a teenage girl. He had a total of 59 convictions for various offences including two for assault.

Gardaí had appealed for the public’s help in tracking the movements of a Silver Audi A4, 09CN6292 and a Red Renault Traffic Van in Allenwood on January 2 and the early hours of January 3.

They also appealed for help finding evidence in the Allenwood South area between 12am and 4.30am.