A 16-year-old boy was arrested following the assault. According to eye witnesses, he made remarks about the Irish military’s involvement in Mali whilst carrying out the attack.

Father Murphy had been taken to hospital with serious injuries. Fortunately they are not life-threatening. He even managed to post on social media: “I am doing okay, and awaiting surgery. Friends, thank you for your prayers, love, and concern…Sorry that I can’t reply to all messages and take all the calls coming my way. All will be well.”

A spokesperson of Ireland’s Defence Forces confirmed that on-duty members fired some shots “in strict accordance with force protection protocols after a Defence Forces member was assaulted by a male civilian. The soldiers on duty responded to the immediate threat with appropriate force to ensure the safety of personnel and secure the area. The assailant was quickly detained and handed over to An Garda Siochana, who are now conducting a full investigation into the incident. The injured Defence Forces member was provided with immediate first aid at the scene before being transported to hospital for further treatment. We can confirm that the victim’s injuries while serious, are not life-threatening.”

The Special Detective Unit – being in charge of investigating anti-government security risks and monitoring people who may be a threat – are examining if it was a terror related attack. Part of their process is to carefully probe the suspect’s social media profiles. According to a spokesman: “An Garda Siochana continue to investigate all the circumstances of the incident. The Special Detective Unit of An Garda Siochana is involved in this investigation. One line of enquiry is to establish if this attack had a terrorism motivation. The suspect remains in detention and is being questioned in a Garda station in the North Western region. Their period of detection has recently been extended.”