'I thank God every day it was me', says army priest who was stabbed in Galway

Defence Forces chaplain, Fr Paul Murphy said he was surprised news of the compassion he showed his attacker had made headlines around the world. Picture: Collins Courts

Father Paul Murphy, the army chaplain who was stabbed in an Islamist-motivated attack in Galway last year, says he thanks God every day that it was him and not someone else who was attacked.

Fr Murphy's attacker, a now 17-year-old, has been sentenced to ten years detention with the final two years suspended for the knife attack, which took place at Renmore Barracks in Galway City on August 15, 2024.

Following his arrest, the boy, who was 16 at the time, told gardaí he had travelled to the barracks with the intention of attacking a member of the Defence Forces “in protest” at their work in Mali, West Africa.

Speaking on Sunday, Fr Murphy said that while there was a general consensus that he was in the wrong place at the wrong time, he now feels as though he was "the right person in the right place at the right time".

"That boy had come to kill a soldier, and that's that matter of record now. And I thank God every day that it was me that he got to, rather than one of the others."

Were it not for a series of small blessings on the night of the attack, he likely would have have died, Fr Murphy said.

He recalled how he drove his car up to the barracks gate that night, and when he stopped, the boy approached the driver's window and asked to speak to him. 

When Fr Murphy rolled the window down, the boy started attacking him. However, the window did not come down fully, and instead only opened two-thirds of the way, affording Fr Murphy some protection, he said.

If it had opened the full way, I would be dead.

When he lifted his foot from his automatic car’s brake pedal, it moved forward, through the gates of the barracks but the attacker “kept coming with him all the way”.

When the vehicle came to a stop inside the barracks a few moments later, Fr Murphy tried unsuccessfully to open his door and push the attacker away. By the time he attempted to open his door a second time, on duty soldiers encircled the car, shouted verbal warnings, fired warning shots and ultimately, restrained the attacker.

The whole attack lasted just under 90 seconds.

Asked about the fact that he hugged his attacker in court in April, Fr Murphy said he did so in the hope that his offer of forgiveness might "change something".

You can fight hate with hate, and then we become entrenched in our hatred, and we continue to hate one another. And I think there's enough of that going on in the world.

Fr Murphy told RTÉ's Sunday with Miriam that his only hope now is for his attacker to have the opportunity to be de-radicalsed and return to society.

“At some point that kid will get out of detention, will return to society, and if he can return a better person, well that's a win."

Fr Murphy added that he was surprised news of the compassion he showed his attacker had made headlines around the world.

"Maybe if we were a bit more forgiving, a bit less harsh on others, we might just have a better world," he said.