Witnesses to knife attack sought

Gardaí are seeking witnesses to a vicious assault on a woman outside the archbishop of Dublin’s home on Tuesday evening.

A woman, in her 30s, was on her way home from work when she was approached by a female assailant and stabbed multiple times, including in the neck.

The incident occurred between 5pm and 5.30pm on the Lower Drumcondra Road.

The victim was taken to the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital for treatment and her injuries are understood to be non-life-threatening.

Fine Gael TD for the area Noel Rock, told the Irish Examiner that the violent incident has shocked the community.

“I spoke with sources earlier and there seems to have been multiple stab wounds so it is a far more vicious and violent assault than previously believed.

“The community is in shock. Drumcondra would not be prone to vicious, violent assaults,” Mr Rock said.

It is understood that a patrolling member of the gardaí came across the victim shortly after the attack, where they found her lying outside the archbishop’s residence.

“She was tremendously lucky, she was found very quickly after the incident.

“Fair play to the gardaí who were obviously out patrolling the area because if they hadn’t been it doesn’t bear thinking about,” the Fine Gael TD said.

He said that the area of the attack is poorly lit but it is a very common path in and out of the capital.

“This is one of the most used pedestrian routes in and out of the city, but it’s poorly lit in parts, there are lights there, some are old yellow lamps and trees as well, which causes patches of blackness.

“The person is still out there. It’s creating a kind of a fear around here that you wouldn’t usually have to contend with,” he said.

Yesterday afternoon, gardaí at Mountjoy in Dublin made an appeal for any witnesses to the assault.

“A female in her 30s received a number of stab wounds when she was attacked by another female at the above (Lower Drumcondra Road) location,” read the garda statement.

They are particularly appealing to anybody who was in the vicinity of Drumcondra Road Lower between Clonliffe Road and the archbishop’s house between 5pm and 5.30pm on Tuesday evening, January 3.

By yesterday evening, no arrests had been made and the investigation was continuing.

The archbishop of Dublin, Diarmuid Martin yesterday described the attack as “unsettling”.

He said it was “very tragic that a person simply walking home from work can be attacked like this”.

Having watched the CCTV footage following the incident he said that he saw the injured woman lying against the wall.

Witnesses or anyone with any information is asked to contact the incident room at Mountjoy Garda Station on 01 666 8600, the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111 or any garda station.