A 19-year-old Dublin man has gone on trial at the Central Criminal Court accused of stabbing a teenager to death in Inchicore.

Marcus Kirwan of Cooley Road, Inchicore denies murdering David Byrne from Drimnagh at Emmet Court on Saturday March 19th 2011.

Opening the 2 week trial prosecution counsel Denis Vaughan-Buckley described it as 'a very tragic case in a lot of ways'.

He said the jury will hear evidence David Byrne was set upon and chased by 4 youths near the John Bosco Youth Centre after 10:30pm that night.

Eye witness to give evidence

One eye witness Thomas Quinn will say he saw a teenager running into a dead end at the Emmet Court apartment complex and another youth catching up with him and digging him in the back.

He went to try help the youth who fell to the ground and had blood coming out of his nose and back.

Emergency services were called to the scene and the 19-year-old was brought to St James's Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 11.45pm.

He had been stabbed 9 times.

Mr. Vaughan-Buckley told the jury a major garda investigation was launched and Marcus Kirwan was arrested 3 days later.

The 19-year-old denies the murder.