A 60-year-old American tourist was found dead in the bathroom of Ballyfin Demesne, a luxury hotel in Ireland known for its celebrity guests. The man, whose name has not been publicly released, appeared to have been the victim of a violent assault. According to the Garda Siochana, Ireland’s national police and security service, the US citizen was discovered unconscious on the bathroom floor Tuesday evening. Despite efforts, he was pronounced dead at the scene. Irish police have arrested a suspect, also an American in his 30s, who reportedly travelled with the victim. He is currently detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984 at a Garda station in the Eastern Region, USA Today reported.
According to The Irish Times, the man had arrived from the US just hours before the tragedy. The post-mortem is underway to establish further details on the incident. Meanwhile, the victim’s family have been notified, and a liaison officer has been assigned to support them.
Gardai are investigating “all the circumstances surrounding the death of a man at a hotel in north County Laois on Tuesday evening,” a spokesperson confirmed.
As the investigation continues, a section of the hotel has been cordoned off to facilitate a thorough examination of the incident.
According to Metro, Ballyfin Demesne, a luxurious Irish retreat priced between 600 -2,500 Euros per night has long been a haven for A-list celebrities since it opened its doors in 2011. Notably, it hosted Kim Kardashian and Kanye West for their five-day honeymoon in 2014, after they were declined accommodation at Glin Castle. The hotel has also hosted George Clooney and his wife Amal.
This esteemed hotel has garnered several prestigious accolades, including Top Resort Hotel in Ireland and UK 2024 by Travel + Leisure magazine. In 2016 it was voted the world’s number one hotel according to over 300,000 readers of the influential New York travel magazine.