A 52-year-old man is fighting for his life in hospital following an alleged assault in Ennis, Co. Clare.

It is understood he fell during a row with another man in the Hermitage area of the town yesterday evening. It is believed he had been involved in an incident outside his home in which he fell to the pavement.

The man was rushed to the Mid-Western Regional Hospital in Limerick. He is being treated for serious head injuries. He is in a critical condition.

No arrests have yet been made but Gardai have already begun house-to-house enquiries in the area.