A man's arm was partially severed when he was attacked with a machete or meat cleaver in Dublin early this morning.
Gardaí at Mountjoy station are investigating the attack shortly before 1.30am at the junction of Goldsmith Street and the North Circular Road.
The 35-year-old man sustained serious injuries to his arm after he was involved in what gardaí described as an altercation with two other men.
He was taken to the Mater hospital nearby. A trail of blood was still visible on the footpath at Goldsmith Street this morning.
In a follow-up investigation, two men aged 27 and 30 were arrested in a flat on North Circular Road and were taken to Store Street Garda station where they are detained under section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act.
According to gardaí, the incident began outside the Spar shop on the North Circular Road.
They asked anyone who was in the general area of the shop and the junction with Goldsmith Street between 1am and 2am to contact gardaí at Mountjoy, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666111 or any Garda station.