Gardaí investigating Cameron Blair's death trawl through 200 hours of CCTV as they make first arrest
Gardaí investigating the death of Cameron Blair have made an arrest.
A male youth in his late teens was arrested after he presented himself to detectives.
He was subsequently detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984 at Togher Garda Station.
Second-year CIT chemical engineering student Cameron, 20, was trying to split up a row at a house party on January 16 in Bandon Road, Cork, when he was attacked.
About six youths are believed to have gatecrashed the party at around 9.30pm.
Although some of the group left when asked to leave, others got into an argument with the party hosts.
Cameron was reportedly standing in the doorway of the house as the rest of the group left when he was stabbed.
He staggered out onto the street and collapsed and although paramedics fought to save his life, he was later pronounced dead at Cork University Hospital.
His death, which the Bishop of Cork, Cloyne and Ross Paul Colton described as “every parent’s nightmare”, shocked not just people in Cork but also the country at a time of a sharp increase in violent crime.
Just days beforehand severed limbs belonging to Louth teenager Keane Mulready-Woods were dumped outside a gang rival’s house.
Gardaí have already seized items of clothing and mobile phones belonging to some of the people who were at the Bandon house party.
They have also downloaded more than 200 hours of CCTV footage and they are studying it to help them identify members of the group who gatecrashed the house party.
Some of them are believed to have run off in the direction of Connaught Park, off Connaught Avenue as gardaí later conducted a search for a weapon there.
Originally from Tullymurrihy, Ballinascarthy, Co Cork, but living in student digs in Bishopstown, the 20-year-old Bandon Grammar School and Hamilton High School pupil was reported to have been helping his father at the family’s light engineering business in west Cork just hours before he returned to attend the house party.
He was a keen athlete and rugby player with Bandon Rugby Club and had been due to play a game the night after he died.
Cameron is survived by his parents Noel and Kathy, 17-year-old brother Alan, and grandmother Phyllis Donnelly.
His funeral service will take place at 2pm on Sunday in St Peter's Church, Bandon, followed by burial in Kilbeg Cemetery.
A one-way traffic system will operate on the L3064, with all traffic accessing the Blair home from the main N71 Bandon - Clonakilty road (on Bandon side of Pedlars Cross) Gardaí are appealing for anyone who has any information to contact them.
Anyone who was in the Bandon Road area between 8pm and 10pm who witnessed anything or anyone with dashcam or mobile phone footage is asked to contact Togher Garda Station on 021-494 7120, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800-666-111 or any Garda Station.
Anyone who does have any details or video footage is asked to contact Gardaí and not to share it on social media.
