Man stabbed to death at sister’s birthday

A WOMAN’S 21st birthday celebrations ended in tragedy yesterday when her brother was stabbed to death at her party on Dublin’s northside.

The victim, named locally as James Donoghue, was 26-years-old and engaged to be married.

He was due to celebrate his fiancée’s 25th birthday today.

Mr Donoghue was attending his sister’s party at a house in Cairncourt, Ballymun, when he was attacked by a number of men with knives.

He was stabbed in the chest and is also believed to have been hit in the face with a bottle.

Relatives said they had to rush children out of the way during the attack.

Gardaí are investigating whether the stabbing resulted from a dispute with neighbours in the area.

Three males, including two juveniles, were arrested yesterday afternoon in relation to the attack.

They were held under the Criminal Justice Act 1984, which allows for a maximum detention period of 12 hours.

Relatives of the victim said he had just come over for the night from his own home in the northside suburb of Coolock.

Speaking on Newstalk, Mr Donoghue’s aunt, who declined to be named, said: “Nobody could stop them.”

“It was his sister’s 21st,” she explained, “We were sitting in the back garden. They threw bottles over the wall; then they came back, a half an hour later, with knives.”

“It happened within five seconds. Nobody could stop them. They just arrived, announced themselves and took the knives out.

“All our grandchildren were there. We said: ‘Get in, get in.’ We were pulling them all back.”

Mr Donoghue was taken by ambulance to the Mater Hospital, where he died a short time later.

Mr Donoghue’s aunt said the family had no grievances with anyone.

She added that her nephew and his fiancée had been saving up for a mortgage.