Next year, the Kimmins family will decide whether to travel to Dublin?s Four Courts for the trial of Keith Cunningham who is accused of his killing.

His death, just days after Darren McKeown was also found with serious injuries and later died, shocked Drogheda.

It was particularly shocking as they both died during the Christmas holiday period.

The second eldest in a large extended family, Des? mother, Bridie Kimmins, actually cradled her son as he lay dying on December 30th, 2007.

Mr Cunningham, a 19-year-old from Halpin?s Terrace is charged with the murder of Des Kimmins, a 41-year-old father of two from Ballsgrove.

Mr Kimmins was found with two stab wounds outside a house in Rathmullen and died from his injuries at 3.30am.

The family had been celebrating Jim Kimmins? 40th birthday party at a nearby house before the incident.

As well as a large family, Des Kimmins also had two young daughters.

Emergency medical technicians from Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, who attended the scene, made valiant efforts to save Mr Kimmins? life but he died shortly after arriving at the hospital.

Garda Superintendent Gerry Smith has confirmed that the trial has been listed for sometime in early 2008. An exact date is not yet known.

At the time, Superintendent Gerry Smith said Drogheda was not facing a crime wave but he did cite ?excessive alcohol consumption? as a factor in the area?s increasing crime rate. Excessive drinking, and in some cases drugs, is causing problems across the whole spectrum of crime. It can be seen in everything from increased public order incidents, to sexual assaults.?

He said that Irish society needed to ?become more aware of the problems caused by excessive alcohol consumption?.