The assailant reportedly shouted something about Irish military involvement in Mali
Ireland’s counter-terrorism and counter-espionage agency is now involved in the investigation of the brutal attack on an Irish army chaplain outside Renmore Barracks, located on the outskirts of Galway city.
The suspect, a 16-year-old Irish national, was waiting for his victim at the entrance to the military installation late Thursday evening. When Father Paul Murphy, 52, arrived in his vehicle, the youth approached the car and began stabbing him through the window.
The chaplain then drove his car through the barracks gate, seemingly attempting to flee the attacker, according to the Irish Times. Military guards witnessed the incident and fired several warning shots before subduing the assailant with batons.
Father Murphy survived the attack. Military personnel administered first aid before paramedics transported him to the hospital. While awaiting surgery, he expressed gratitude for everyone’s “prayers, love, and concern,” writing in a social media post that he “will be well.”
“Soldiers on duty responded to the immediate threat with appropriate force to ensure the safety of personnel and secure the area,” the Defence Forces said in a statement, adding that the assailant was handed over to the national police.
The Special Detective Unit, responsible for terrorism offenses, has already questioned the suspect and concluded that he had been “radicalized to an extent” online, according to a source cited by the Irish Times. Authorities are not ruling out a possible “terrorist motivation” behind the attack.
During the assault, the teenager reportedly shouted something about Irish military involvement in Mali, but his exact grievances remain unclear. Approximately 100 members of the Irish Defence Forces are involved in various peacekeeping roles around the globe, including in Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, and Israel, though only a handful of them had been part of the EU military training mission in Mali which officially earlier this year.