Spar shop worker hospitalised after violent attack in Dublin inner city

Gardaí have begun an investigation into a serious attack in Dublin’s inner city during which a man working at a Spar shop was assaulted and sustained significant injuries.

The victim was taken to the Mater hospital where he was still receiving treatment on Wednesday.

It is the latest violent incident to take place in central Dublin in recent months, with a series of attacks having put the Government and Garda under pressure over perceptions of deteriorating safety levels in the city.

It is understood the latest attack occurred when two men working in a Spar shop on Mountjoy Street, Dublin 7, tried to prevent another man from damaging the windows and doors outside the premises on Tuesday evening. Sources said the man responsible for the incident was trying to break the windows using a chair as a weapon.

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However, when the two shop workers went to investigate, they were attacked by the assailant and one of them suffered serious injuries. A number of local people and passersby witnessed the incident on the street and alerted the emergency services.

The injured man was treated at the scene by paramedics before being taken by ambulance to the nearby Mater hospital. Gardaí also visited the scene on Tuesday night and detectives were back at the shop on Wednesday morning as part of the criminal investigation now under way.

In reply to queries, Garda Headquarters, Phoenix Park, Dublin, confirmed a criminal investigation was now under way into the assault.

“Gardaí are investigating an assault that took place at a shop on Mountjoy Street, Dublin 7 on the September 5th, 2023 at approximately 7pm,” it said. “A man in his 40s was injured and taken to the Mater hospital for treatment. No arrests have been made.”

The attack took place amid a policing surge in central Dublin aimed at providing higher visibility policing in the city to shore up public confidence. In response to criticism after the series of high profile attacks in Dublin over the summer, Minister for Justice Helen McEntee made available €10 million of additional funding for Garda overtime in the city to the end of the year.

The higher profile incidents in recent months included the attack on US tourist Stephen Termini on Talbot St, Dublin 1, in July, and a stabbing on Grafton St, Dublin 2, last month. A number of tourists were also robbed and beaten in the Temple Bar area. Suspects have been identified and charged in relation to most of the violence.

However, the Garda has said attacks in public places in central Dublin have not increased this year, despite many claims to the contrary. Data obtained by The Irish Times shows assaults in public places in Dublin are marginally lower this year; some 2,353 to the start of August compared to 2,429 and 2,535 in the same period last year and 2019 respectively.