Wave of stabbings leaves seven injured, one critical
Monday January 02 2006
and Kathryn Hayes
A 21-YEAR-OLD man was in a critical condition in hospital last night. He was one of seven people stabbed on New Year's Day.
The young Dublin man was found at 4am with a chest wound near Jury's Hotel close to Croke Park.
He was taken to the city's Mater hospital where he underwent surgery and was last night in the hospital's intensive care unit. His condition was described as critical.
Five Lithuanian men were also taken to hospital with stab wounds early yesterday following a row in Newcastlewest, Co Limerick.
At about 2.30am one man was stabbed at St Mary's Road, Newcastlewest.
A short time later four other men, also from Lithuania were stabbed at a house, a short distance away in Brenknock Court Avenue.
The stabbings followed a row involving a number of Lithuanian men in the early hours.
Gardai were alerted after a patrol in the town noticed a man bleeding heavily on St Mary's Road.
A call was then received from a house where four more men in their early 20s were also injured.
All five men were taken to the Mid Western Regional Hospital but two of them had been discharged by early yesterday afternoon.
Gardai investigating the attack have still to establish a motive and it is not yet clear whether the men were stabbed with knives or broken glasses.
In Ballymena, Co Antrim, a 36-year-old man was admitted to hospital after being stabbed in the back several times following a fight on a garage forecourt on the North Road.
His condition is described as stable.
Two men are being questioned in relation to the stabbing.
