Gardaí trying to establish motive for stabbing of children and creche worker

Gardaí were still trying to establish the motive after a man stabbed a number of people, including children, outside a school in Dublin city. Picture: Colin Keegan/Collins Photos

Gardaí have said that they are still trying to establish the motive after a man stabbed a number of people, including children, outside a school in Dublin city.

The man is understood to have arrived in the area just after 1.30pm when children were lining up outside an aftercare creche, and proceeded to attack them with a knife.

Five people were brought to hospital, including three with serious injuries, following the incident. One of those critically hurt was a girl aged just five years old, who is being treated in Temple Street Hospital for her injuries. 

The incident happened right outside Gaelscoil Choláiste Mhuire, on a busy stretch of road just north of O’Connell Street in the city centre.

Speaking to reporters outside Mountjoy Garda Station, Superintendent Liam Geraghty said they were keeping an open mind but did not believe the attack was terror-related and was a “standalone attack”.

Mr Geraghty said: “Preliminary indications are that a male attacked a number of people on Parnell Square East.

“Five casualties have been taken to hospitals in the Dublin Region. These casualties include three young children, an adult female and an adult male.

“One girl, aged 5, has sustained serious injuries and is currently receiving emergency medical treatment in CHI Temple Street.” A boy (5) and a girl (6) were treated with less serious injuries, he said, adding that the boy had been discharged from hospital. Gardaí are providing support to the children’s parents, he said.

A woman in her 30s, believed to a worker of the school or aftercare school the children had been attending, is also being treated for serious injuries at the Mater Hospital.

Gardaí appealed for any witnesses to the incident to come forward.

Meanwhile, a man in his 40s was being treated at a Dublin hospital for serious injuries. Superintendent Geraghty said that this man was the person of interest to gardaí’s investigation and they were not seeking anyone else in relation to the attack.

The man is a naturalised Irish citizen who has been in Ireland for more than 20 years.

He said that they were following a definite line of inquiry but that it was still early days in the investigation.

“This is a standalone attack, and we need to understand the reasons behind that,” he said.

Superintendent Geraghty praised members of the public who intervened in the attack. A number of passers-by including people attending the nearby Stardust inquest stepped in to disarm the man, who was armed with a knife.

He said gardaí wanted to applaud those who became involved in what he referred to as a traumatic and potentially dangerous situation for themselves.

“I understand the person of interest was detained at the scene,” he said.

He said he was aware of public concern surrounding the incident, but asked the public not to “jump to conclusions” or make “rash judgements” in this regard.

The senior garda said that he understood that counselling would be made available to the children of the school following the horrific incident.

He also appealed for any witnesses to the incident to come forward.