Teenage boy stable after stabbing outside Leaving Cert party

A teenage boy who was stabbed outside a Leaving Cert party on Friday night is in a “stable condition”, gardaí said on Sunday.

The victim, thought to be aged 16 or 17, was among up to 180 people who were attending an exam results celebration at Vela restaurant in Clondalkin, west Dublin.

Mohammed Khan, supervisor at the restaurant, said he believed most of the students at the party attended schools in Navan, Co Meath, and arrived at the venue by bus.

“Everything was 100 per cent fine at the function,” he told The Irish Times.

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“We had a lot of security in place. We had done our due diligence before taking the booking. This stabbing came out of nowhere, it happened on the way to the car park after the event.

“It is shocking. This sort of thing has never happened here before, we have never seen anything like it in the time we have been open.”

It is understood the Leaving Cert party was booked into a function room adjoining the buffet-style restaurant, which has been open for almost a year.

Mr Khan said CCTV footage has been handed to investigating gardaí.

The alleged perpetrator was not attending the function, according to Mr Khan, but this has not been confirmed.

Gardaí said they were treating the incident as a serious assault which happened shortly before 1am on Saturday.

The victim suffered a “number of injuries” and was taken to James Connolly Memorial Hospital, where his condition was described as “critical”. Gardaí said on Sunday that the teenager was now in a “stable condition”.

Gardaí have appealed for anyone with information to get in contact.

No arrests have been made to date.

“I think the community as a whole is deeply saddened deeply shocked by this event. I wish the young man a speedy recovery. We want people to be able to enjoy themselves and go out in the locality,” Fianna Fáil councillor Trevor Gilligan told Virgin Media News.