The incident took place shortly after 2.30 pm in the Stoneybatter area of north Dublin yesterday, February 9.
Two men sustained serious injuries while another suffered less serious wounds. All are expected to survive.
One of the men sustained what are being described as ‘life-changing’ injuries as a result of the attack.
Security sources told the Irish Daily Mail the men suffered neck injuries and ‘lacerations to their faces’.
It is believed the attacker, who is understood to be from South America, was hanging around the Stoneybatter area armed with a blade.
'Life Changing Injuries'
Two of the men he attacked were trying to enter their homes at the time, while the other man was targeted on the street.
Gardaí are now attempting to figure out a motive for the attack, but have ruled out any terror-related cause. Eyewitnesses to the chaos described the scene.
One witness, Jamie Stewart, said he heard screams and someone shouting that they had been stabbed.
'We were inside and then all we could hear was, “Help, help, I’ve been stabbed”,’ he told RTÉ.
‘People saw it happening but didn’t know what was going on. People were running and when you see that you don’t even know if it’s real or not.’
Local woman Cindy Kinsella saw the extent of some of the injuries. She said: ‘They were being taken away in an ambulance. Their faces were slashed. Absolutely incredible on a quiet Sunday afternoon with people going for a walk in the park.’ The attacker was arrested very shortly after the attack.
‘Help, help, I've been stabbed'
Gardaí told people to stay in their homes for their own safety and quickly secured the area.
Security sources said that it was a ‘miracle that no fatalities had occurred’. ‘Investigations are at an early stage but, firstly, it’s a miracle that nobody is dead,’ they told the Mail.
‘For three people to be attacked in this way and for nobody to be critical or dead is rare.
‘Gardaí had reports of a man loitering in the area. Now this information came in after the attack, which is important to say, but they believe it’s the same man. It appears he was waiting in the area and was armed with a blade and chose people at random.’
They added that ‘two of these men were making their way into their homes when they were attacked’. They continued: ‘One man discarded his bike and ran towards his door.
‘We know one man had his neck and face badly slashed and this looks like it’s going to leave a permanent mark, but hopefully he gets all the help he needs. ‘The attacker is in custody now and was very disoriented like he was confused as to what was going on. Gardaí will have to wait until he’s in a position to be interviewed. The attacker’s mental health at the time of the incident is one of the lines of inquiry. ‘It could well be the case he had some form of breakdown which then led to this horrible attack.’
‘Chose people at random'
Responding to the news, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said: ‘Our thoughts are with the victims of the shocking attacks in Stoneybatter. I want to pay tribute to the gardaí and the emergency services for their prompt response.
‘I wish all those injured a full recovery and urge anyone with any information to contact the Gardaí.’
Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan said he was being updated on the situation by gardaí and condemned what he called an ‘awful random attack’.
Local TDs in Dublin Central also condemned the incident. Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald said: ‘Terrible news from Stoneybatter this afternoon. My thoughts are with those injured and their families. The community is in a state of shock.
‘The gardaí and emergency services are to be commended for their response.’
Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon added: ‘Heartbreaking news from Stoneybatter in the last few hours. My thoughts are with the victims, their families, and the entire community affected by this.
‘A sincere thank you to our emergency services and the gardaí for such a quick response this afternoon.’
'Gardaí swarmed the area'
Local Fine Gael councilor Ray McAdam described how gardaí ‘swarmed’ the area within minutes of getting the call.
He told the Mail: ‘It happened very quickly, residents were advised to get indoors and shut the doors. There was a man who was in his own doorway when it happened. Thankfully the injuries aren’t life-threatening.
‘We could have been talking about a much more serious event than what actually happened. But, yeah, the word was to stay in and lock the door.’
He added: ‘The gardaí swarmed the area quickly. I’ve been talking to residents and they said the gardaí came from every corner.
‘I was also talking to residents on Manor Place about how quickly the gardaí arrived. They jumped out of cars from all angles.
‘The guards were on the scene very quickly. I can’t over-emphasise that point. We can be quick to criticise them sometimes but they were fantastic today.’
In a statement, gardaí said they have arrested a man who was being detained at a Dublin station. They have urged anyone with any video or any other information to come forward.
A spokesman said: ‘Gardaí continue to investigate all the circumstances of a serious incident which occurred in the Stoneybatter area, Dublin 7, this afternoon, Sunday, February 9, 2025.
‘A man has been arrested and is currently detained at a Garda station in the North City under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984. Three males assaulted in the course of the incident have been taken to hospital for treatment, two males for serious but not life-threatening injuries, one male with less serious injuries.
‘Anyone who was in the Stoneybatter area between 2.30 pm and 3.30 pm, who may have any video footage linked to this incident, is asked to make this footage available to gardaí. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Bridewell Garda Station on (01) 6668200, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda station.’
* This article was originally published on Extra.ie.
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