Fatal stabbing in Dublin sparks murder investigation

A murder investigation has been launched after a 34-year-old man was fatally stabbed in west Dublin early this morning. The victim was attacked at a house in Shancastle Close just before 6am. Gardaí believe the attack may be connected to an ongoing feud among rival families in the area, which has been going on for more than a year. A man in his 30s has been arrested in connection with the death and is being held at a Dublin garda station. He can be questioned for up to 24 hours.

The attack follows a series of violent incidents in west Dublin in the early hours of this morning. First, a car was burnt out in the Glenfield Avenue area. Another car was then rammed in the Greenfort area, before a petrol bomb was thrown at a house in Shancastle. A man then arrived at another house in Shancastle at around 5.50am and attacked a man there. Emergency services were called and the victim, who was found unresponsive at the scene, was taken to Connolly Hospital in Blanchardstown, but was pronounced dead there a short time later. The scene at the house has been preserved for a technical examination. The Coroner and the Office of the State Pathologist have been notified and a post-mortem examination will be arranged in due course. A senior investigating officer has been appointed to lead the investigation and an incident room has been established at Lucan Garda Station. A family liaison officer will be assigned to support the family of the deceased. Investigating gardaí are appealing to anyone who may have witnessed the incident to come forward. They are also appealing to anyone with camera footage, including motorists with dashcam footage from the area between 5am and 6am this morning, to contact them.

Officers believe the attack is the latest and most serious in a series of violent incidents as part of a feud between families, teenagers, and young criminals in the area. The feud mainly involves young criminals in their teens and early 20s based in Clondalkin, Ronanstown, and Lucan in west Dublin. There have been several attacks on individuals and homes - as many as 50 over the past few years - and several people are currently before the courts. These include petrol bomb attacks, machete attack by a group of men on a teenager, and an incident where a young teenager was attacked and stabbed in his home. Gardaí believe one of the main suspected protagonists is 19 years of age, who is facing serious charges in relation to another attack. Investigating gardaí are appealing to anyone who may have witnessed the incident to come forward. Officers say they believe they know many of the people involved. One senior officer described them as reckless and dangerous, with little regard for the safety of themselves or others. Gardaí have increased patrols, including armed patrols, in the area and have been monitoring key protagonists. It is not totally clear how this feud initially started among these families and individuals, but gardaí are concerned that it has taken on a personal dimension, where both sides feel it necessary to retaliate and save face. They say robust policing activity in the area will again intensify.