Patrick Nugent: Death at Bunratty

In the early hours of the 11th of February, 1984, a party for a wealthy local businessman was winding down inside a building known as The Barn on the grounds of Bunratty Folk Park in County Clare.

The band had just wrapped up about an hour earlier, and the 60 guest list or so had gone home, began going home to bed from 3:00.

But by 4:00 AM, fewer than a dozen people remained, including the staff, you know, who were mostly tidying up after another one of these long parties at Bunratty.

The function manager that night was 23-year-old Patrick Nugent, and he had spent the day making sure everything ran smoothly.

And although the party was long over, he stayed late to help his team clear away, you know, the glasses, the bottles, and all the remnants of the party, when at around 4:00 AM, the unthinkable happened.

People inside heard a loud crash, followed by shouting or roaring from the direction of the courtyard.

When guests and staff rushed out to the entrance, what they found confused and terrified them.

Patrick was found lying on the ground, holding his stomach, clearly writhing in severe pain.

Now, outside, two cars were damaged, but nobody could actually recall what had happened.

There didn't seem to be any eyewitnesses, and nobody knew how Patrick had been injured.

A member of staff called Declan O'Neill tried to help Patrick, and according to his later account, Patrick initially said, "My stomach," before repeating another sentence three times, and this sentence would only create more confusion around the investigation in all of the years to come.

He repeated, "He clocked me." Now, what did he mean by being clocked? You know, it's a term that's so specific but also so vague.

It can mean to be punched or struck, but Patrick seemed way, way, way too injured for this to just be a punch to the gut.

He was never able to explain any further, and it wasn't long before he lost consciousness.

In the months and years that followed, Patrick's death would become the subject of a criminal trial, coroner's inquest, an internal guard investigation, and serious allegations that some of the people there that night were holding back some incredibly important information.

There have even been rumors of a garda conspiracy.

Now, there were dozens of potential witnesses, including two off-duty gardaí at the party, but all of the accounts ended up conflicting.

And more than 40 years later, nobody has ever been convicted in connection with Patrick's death.

So what happened in the courtyard after the party at Bunratty? How did a night attended by so many people become one of Ireland's most controversial and unresolved deaths? As I said before, all of the cases in this season remain unsolved.

Throughout these episodes, I could discuss suspects, persons of interests, and different theories, but unless I specifically state otherwise, nobody mentioned has ever been charged or convicted with the crime.

Any speculation will be clearly identified as such and should not be taken as an allegation of guilt, as these cases remain open investigations.

Let's start the episode.