Update 3.10pm:The young father who died in a gang attack after attending a Halloween bonfire in Dublin had survived a murder bid a year-and-a-half ago.

The victim, named locally as Robert Ellis, was found dead in the back garden of a house in the Neilstown area of west Dublin after trying to run from a group of people.

At least four people were seen leaving the crime scene after the 24-year-old was chased from open ground in the St Mark’s area between the Fonthill Road and Neilstown Road, near Liffey Valley.

Gardai said Mr Ellis, who had been living in the area, was at the bonfire on the green at St Mark’s at some point and ran from the area across a busy road.

It is understood he tried to bang on the door of a house before fleeing into the back garden where he was later found.

It is suspected that Mr Ellis, who had a record for drugs offences among other crimes, was stabbed in the attack.

He survived a shooting in Clondalkin in March last year when he was targeted and shot at least once by gunmen while with his then pregnant girlfriend.

Earlier: Gardaí in Dublin are appealing for information following a fatal attack in Clondalkin in the early hours of this morning.

A man in his 20s was killed after he was assaulted in the Liscarne Gardens housing estate at around 3.10am.

The victim had been attending a Halloween bonfire at St Mark’s estate, when he was chased by a number of people across the Neilstown Road into Liscarne Gardens.

Superintendent Dermot Mann from Lucan Garda Station, says they are looking for information as to how and where the attackers fled following the incident.

Supt Mann said: “We’re here today in respect of an incident that happened around 3am this morning, where a young man was murdered in the back yard of a house.

“We have information that possibly four people left the garden over the wall.

“What we are looking for is anybody that can help us in respect of any direction of travel of those people.”