A journalist renowned for his coverage of the Troubles in Northern Ireland has been murdered in Dublin.
Police in the city have arrested two men after the body of Eugene Moloney was found on Camden Street early on Sunday.
The 55-year-old was punched in the side of the head and fell to the ground as the two men in their 20s attacked him.
The incident was caught on CCTV and police made quick arrests just hours after the murder.
Officers believe Moloney may have been robbed, as he lay unconscious on the ground and his wallet and identification were missing.
Formerly with the Irish News in Belfast and the Irish Independent in Dublin, Moloney had been freelancing on his return from a spell teaching in Vietnam.
His most recent article, on the Ulster Bank IT crisis, had appeared in the Irish edition of the Daily Mail on Saturday, just hours before his death.
He reported extensively from Northern Ireland at the height of the Troubles and covered many terrorist atrocities.
Moloney, who lived alone at Portobello Place on the south side of Dublin, was on his way home when he was attacked.
A murder investigation was launched after a post mortem examination confirmed that he had died from serious head injuries as a result of the assault.
Group Managing Editor of Independent Papers Ireland Ltd Michael Denieffe paid tribute to the dead journalist.
He told the Irish Independent: “On behalf of Independent Newspapers, I want to express our shock at the untimely death of our former colleague, Eugene Moloney. He was a resourceful and fearless journalist.
“It is a tragic irony that Eugene has died in an incident similar to many he would have recorded in his years working for the 'Evening Herald' and the Irish Independent. Our sympathies go to his family and friends.”
Irish News editor Noel Doran told the paper he was deeply shocked by the death of his good friend Eugene Moloney.
“Eugene and I studied journalism together at the former College of Business Studies in Belfast in the late 1970s, and went on to share flats over a number of years,” said Doran.
“Eugene was a talented and respected reporter with 'The Irish News' during the height of the troubles and was also the paper's music columnist for a lengthy period.
“He interviewed a wide range of visiting artists in Belfast, and had a fund of anecdotes about his experiences.”
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