A GoFundMe to "buy a pint" for the heroic Brazilian delivery driver who stopped a shocking knife attack on Parnell Square on Thursday afternoon has raised more than €300,000 in less than 24 hours.
The "Buy Caio Benicio A Pint" online fundraiser has raised €318,000 at the time of writing, with more than 30,000 people donating to the campaign.
Benicio, 43, was riding his motorbike on Parnell Square on Thursday afternoon when he saw a man with a knife attacking young children outside the Gaelscoil Coláiste Mhuire Scoil.
The Deliveroo driver said he dismounted his bike, took off his helmet, and hit the man with it, causing him to fall to the ground and drop the knife.
Benicio told the Journal on Thursday that he acted on "pure instinct" and didn't even think about intervening in the attack.
"I didn’t even make a decision, it was pure instinct, and it was all over in seconds. He fell to the ground, I didn’t see where the knife went, and other people stepped in," Benicio told the Journal.
"I have two kids myself, so I had to do something. I did what anyone would do. People were there but they couldn’t step in because he was armed, but I knew I could use my helmet as a weapon."
A female creche worker and three young children were injured in the knife attack, with a five-year-old girl fighting for her life in Temple Street Hospital as a result of her injuries. The woman, who reportedly risked her life to protect children in the area, is also being treated for serious injuries in the Mater Hospital.
A man in his 50s, who is a suspect in the investigation, is also in hospital due to injuries suffered during the attack.
The online fundraiser described Benicio as a hero for stopping the attack and said the least Irish people could do was buy him a pint as a way of saying thanks.
"The man's a hero and the least we can do is buy him a pint so I'm asking you to donate the price of a pint of Guinness in your local to Caio so that he knows the people of Dublin appreciate him," organizer Paul Darcy said.
Meanwhile, a separate fundraiser aiming to raise funds for the victims of Thursday's attack has raised more than €200,000.
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