Children witness horror bloodbath as four stabbed

By Ken Foy

A 32-year-old man was left fighting for his life and his girlfriend sustained slash wounds after a terrifying bloodbath incident in a north-Dublin housing estate.

Children watched in horror from a playground as the shocking violence unfolded at Redmonds Court in Kilbarrack during the brawl.

At least four people were involved in the daylight attack, including the man and his partner as well as two brothers, who are well known to the couple.

The brothers also required hospital treatment after the brawl, which unfolded at around 7pm on Friday.

And the situation took an even more sinister turn when the factions met each other at the Accident and Emergency Unit in Beaumont Hospital where a bitter confrontation took place in front of other patients, including children.

A resident of the Kilbarrack estate told the Herald: "It was an absolute miracle that no-one was killed - there was blood everywhere. Once the emergency services got here, the place was swarming with gardai."

The brutal incident is being investigated by detectives based at Raheny Garda Station.

Gardai have seized the "bloody" car that the two brothers travelled to the hospital in.

The attacked man and his partner had been brought to the hospital by ambulance, but it all "kicked off" again when the warring factions saw each other there.

"It was absolute bedlam - the level of hatred and violence involved in all of this was shocking but it seems that this dispute has been simmering 
for some time," a source said.

The 32-year-old man, who is originally from Newbridge, Co Kildare, is a fitness fanatic who is understood to be under threat from a number of dangerous gangland figures.

Groin

A source said: "He was stabbed twice in the stomach, twice in the back - with one of those injuries puncturing his lung, and he was also stabbed in the groin.

"His face was slashed from the top of his ear over his 
eyebrow. His skin was hanging off."

He later underwent surgery and was still recovering from his ordeal in hospital last night.

The woman, believed to be in her late 20s, sustained a stab wound to her neck and was said to be "very lucky" the knife didn't sever an artery. The two brothers suffered superficial stab injuries.

The sickening events are not understood to be linked to organised crime but instead a bitter "personal dispute" that has been ongoing all year.

The two brothers who were involved in the incident and who also suffered slash wounds had close links to slain crimelord Eamon Kelly, who was shot dead in December, 2012.

They are also have close links to Coolock man Eoin O'Connor, who was murdered in a gangland double-cross in Co Cavan in April along with his pal Anthony Keegan.

Sources say that no complaint has been made to gardai but "this does not mean that the matter is not being fully investigated".

kfoy@herald.ie