Police arrested a 17-year-old Irish national following a knife attack on a priest outside Renmore Barracks in Galway, on the night of Thursday, August 15th.
Father Paul Murphy, a 52-year-old army chaplain, suffered wounds to his arms which are described as serious but non-life threatening. Five warning shots were fired by on-duty Defence Forces personnel as they intervened to prevent further injury after the suspect ignored earlier warnings.
Irish Independent reported on Friday, August 16th that the knifeman “may have made comments at the scene of the stabbing about Irish military involvement in the Middle East before he was brought away by officers.”
An Irish Defence Forces representative described the warning shots as “in strict accordance with force protection protocols,” after the priest was “assaulted by a male civilian.”
Gardaí (Irish police) detained the suspect for further questioning in Galway, and are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident. Whilst initially some limited information about the knifeman was released, police have since said they are now not ruling out terrorism as a motive.
The Defence Forces chaplain is described as having served on a number of overseas missions. He took to social media to confirm that he is awaiting hospital surgery, reassuring the public that “all will be well”:
Friends, thank you for your prayers, love, and concern.
Throughout Western Europe, the release of limited and often vague details on knife attacks is a growing concern, even when the age of the suspect may be a factor delaying the release of information.
