A young man has been jailed for beating a 48-year-old man to death in Dublin 2 years ago. Ryan Greene of Knowth Court in Poppintree pleaded guilty to killing Joseph Connolly in Ballymun on St. Patrick's Day in 2011.

Greene was just 18 when he carried out this violent attack on Connolly.

He had been celebrating St. Patrick's Day with friends and they ended up in a Chinese restaurant on the Ballymun Road later that night where his girlfriend became upset after Mr. Connolly made rude gestures to her.

The court heard how a teenage friend of Greene stormed out and punched him in the face.

Greene then joined him and CCTV footage showed him throwing a series of wild punches and kicks at Mr. Connolly who was slumped on the road.

His 17-year-old co-accused - who cannot be named because of his age - but was described as a promising young footballer who had trials with a premier league club in London. He delivered one last kick before they left their victim to die.

Judge Mary Ellen-Ring described the attack as 'tragic' and noted that what should have been a national day of celebration for Mr. Connolly turned out to be his final day on earth.

She then jailed Greene for 3 and a half years and sentenced his co-accused to three years detention which she suspended in full.