Anthony Foley granted High Court bail over assault on Michael Healy-Rae
Michael Healy-Rae, a man in his 50s and Independent TD for Kerry, was assaulted through his open car window on Cork Street, Dublin 8, on 16 September 2026 at approximately 4:10pm while stopped in traffic driving home from the Dáil. Anthony Foley, a man aged 51, was arrested the following day and charged with assault causing harm, an offence carrying up to 10 years. Healy-Rae sustained a laceration to his mouth requiring seven stitches. Foley was refused bail at Dublin District Court on 18 September and remanded to Cloverhill Prison. On 9 October 2026, Judge Cathleen Noctor at the High Court in Cloverhill granted Foley bail subject to a €500 surety, a €1,400 personal bond, twice-daily sign-on, an 8pm-to-8am curfew, and exclusion from Dublin 2.
- Reported16 Sep
- Arrested17 Sep
4 reports - Charged17 Sep
2 reports - In court18 Sep
2 reports - Verdict
- Sentenced
Key facts
consolidated from all reports- What happened
- Michael Healy-Rae was assaulted through his open car window while stopped in traffic on Cork Street, Dublin 8, on 16 September 2026 at approximately 4:10pm.
- Healy-Rae sustained a laceration to his mouth requiring seven stitches and was treated at St Vincent's Hospital before returning home to Kerry.
- Anthony Foley, 51, was arrested on 17 September 2026 and charged with assault causing harm, an offence carrying up to 10 years.
- Foley vehemently denies being the person in the video evidence.
- Where
- The assault took place on Cork Street, Dublin 8, near the Coombe Hospital, while Healy-Rae was driving home from Leinster House.
- When
- The assault occurred on Wednesday 16 September 2026 at approximately 4:10pm.
- Investigation
- Gardaí had CCTV footage of the alleged attacker, and the day after the incident a man was spotted in the same clothes walking the same dog on the same road.
- In court
- Foley was refused bail at Dublin District Court on 18 September 2026 and remanded to Cloverhill Prison.
- On 9 October 2026, Judge Cathleen Noctor at the High Court in Cloverhill granted Foley bail, finding no evidential basis for fears he would fail to appear or interfere with witnesses.
- Sentence
- Bail was granted with an independent surety of €500, a personal bond of €1,400, twice-daily sign-on, an 8pm-to-8am curfew, and exclusion from Dublin 2.
- Other details
- Gardaí believe the attack was spur-of-the-moment and the assailant was not part of any protest group, though political motivation cannot be ruled out.
- Foley is unemployed and in receipt of disability benefit of €254 per week.
68 statements extracted from the articles
- whatMichael Healy-Rae was released from hospital on Wednesday evening after being assaulted in Dublin city centre (irishtimes.com)
- whatHealy-Rae was verbally abused by a passerby before being punched through the open window (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe assailant fled the scene (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe victim was described by Gardaí as a male motorist in his late 50s (irishtimes.com)
- whatA male in his 50s was arrested in relation to an assault (garda.ie)
- whatThe man allegedly assaulted Healy-Rae through his open car window (irishmirror.ie)
- whatHealy-Rae received several stitches to the area around his mouth (irishmirror.ie)
- whatA man was charged in connection with an assault on Michael Healy-Rae in Dublin (irishmirror.ie)
- whatA man in his 50s was arrested on Thursday by gardaí (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThe Gardaí confirmed on Thursday night that the man had been charged (irishmirror.ie)
- whatHealy-Rae was stopped in traffic when a lone man approached his vehicle and assaulted him (irishmirror.ie)
- whatHealy-Rae was driving from the Dáil at the time (irishmirror.ie)
- whatHealy-Rae received medical treatment at Kevin Street Garda station (irishmirror.ie)
- whatHealy-Rae suffered a laceration on his mouth requiring seven stitches. (irishtimes.com)
- whatFoley is charged with assault causing harm to Michael Healy-Rae on 16 September 2026 at Cork Street. (irishtimes.com)
- whatFoley was denied bail in the District Court two days after the incident. (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe judge reserved judgment until Thursday and then granted bail. (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe judge held there was no evidential basis for fears Foley would fail to appear or interfere with witnesses. (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe judge was satisfied a conviction would likely result in a custodial sentence. (irishtimes.com)
- whatGarda Sgt Dave Griffin alleged Foley approached Healy-Rae's car outside the Coombe Hospital just after 4pm while walking a dog, shouted obscenities, then punched him in the face. (irishtimes.com)
- whatHealy-Rae received treatment from an ambulance crew and was later taken to hospital for a laceration to his lip. (irishtimes.com)
- whatFoley vehemently denies being the person in the video evidence. (irishtimes.com)
- whereThe attack took place on Cork Street (irishtimes.com)
- whereThe assault occurred on Cork Street, Dublin 8 (garda.ie)
- whereHe is held in a Garda station in the Dublin Metropolitan Region (garda.ie)
- whereThe alleged assault occurred on Cork Street, Dublin 8 (garda.ie)
- whereThe assault took place on Cork Street, Dublin 8. (garda.ie)
- whereHealy-Rae was stopped in traffic on his way home from Dáil Éireann shortly after 4pm. (dublinlive.ie)
- whereThe assault took place on Cork Street in Dublin (irishmirror.ie)
- whereThe attack took place on Cork Street while Healy-Rae was stopped in traffic driving home from Leinster House. (irishtimes.com)
- whenThe attack happened just after 4pm near the Coombe hospital in the south inner city (irishtimes.com)
- whenThe assault took place on 16 September 2026 (garda.ie)
- whenThe alleged assault occurred on Wednesday 16 September 2026 (garda.ie)
- whenThe assault occurred on 16 September 2026. (garda.ie)
- whenThe court appearance is scheduled for Friday 18 September 2026 at 10:30am. (garda.ie)
- whenThe suspect was detained in Dublin on Thursday morning, 17 September 2026. (dublinlive.ie)
- whenThe attack took place on Wednesday afternoon, 16 September 2026. (dublinlive.ie)
- whenThe assault occurred at 4.10pm on 16 September 2026 (irishmirror.ie)
- whenThe assault occurred at 4.10pm on Wednesday 16 September 2026 (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationNo arrests had been made and inquiries were ongoing (irishtimes.com)
- investigationGardaí were hoping to take an initial statement of complaint from the TD on Wednesday (irishtimes.com)
- investigationCCTV from the area was being harvested to isolate and identify the attacker (irishtimes.com)
- investigationThe suspect is detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984 (garda.ie)
- investigationInvestigations are ongoing (garda.ie)
- investigationGardaí arrested an individual in relation to an alleged assault (garda.ie)
- investigationInvestigations into the assault are ongoing (garda.ie)
- investigationThe investigation into the assault remains ongoing. (garda.ie)
- investigationGardaí arrested a male aged in his 50s in relation to an assault on Cork Street, Dublin 8 on 16 September 2026. (dublinlive.ie)
- investigationThe suspect is detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984 in a Garda Station in the Dublin Metropolitan Region. (dublinlive.ie)
- investigationGardaí arrested a man in connection with the alleged assault on Cork Street, Dublin 8, on 16 September 2026 (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationGardaí had good CCTV footage of the man who allegedly assaulted Healy-Rae but had not released it publicly (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationGardaí made approximately 18 arrests in 2025 for offenses perpetrated against those in public office (irishmirror.ie)
- chargeA man in his 50s was arrested and charged in connection with the assault. (garda.ie)
- chargeFoley was charged with assault causing harm, an offence carrying up to a 10-year sentence. (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe suspect is expected to appear before Dublin District Court, Criminal Courts of Justice No. 4. (garda.ie)
- courtThe suspect is due to appear before Dublin District Court on Friday morning (irishmirror.ie)
- courtFoley was refused bail and remanded to Cloverhill Prison. (irishtimes.com)
- courtFoley is due in court again on Tuesday, 22 September. (irishtimes.com)
- courtFoley appealed the bail decision before Judge Cathleen Noctor at the High Court in Cloverhill, Dublin. (irishtimes.com)
- sentenceBail was granted with an independent surety of €500, a personal bond of €1,400, twice-daily sign-on, an 8pm-to-8am curfew, and exclusion from Dublin 2. (irishtimes.com)
- otherGardaí believe the attack was spur-of-the-moment and the assailant was not part of any protest group (irishtimes.com)
- otherUnconfirmed local reports suggested the assailant was walking a dog at the time (irishtimes.com)
- otherThe motivation for the alleged assault is unclear and political motivation cannot be ruled out (irishmirror.ie)
- otherA man was arrested earlier that week for an alleged assault attempt on Taoiseach Micheál Martin (irishmirror.ie)
- otherTaoiseach Micheál Martin declared the assault an attack on democracy (irishmirror.ie)
- otherFoley is unemployed and in receipt of social welfare. (irishtimes.com)
- otherFoley is on disability benefit, receiving €254 a week. (irishtimes.com)
- otherThe investigation file was in its latter stages of preparation. (irishtimes.com)
The reporting
newest first- 8 Oct2026Man accused of ‘totally unprovoked’ attack on Michael Healy-Rae granted bail
First report of the assault and the subsequent High Court bail hearing. Foley was denied bail in District Court on 18 September 2026 but was granted bail by Judge Cathleen Noctor at the High Court in Cloverhill on 8 October 2026, subject to a €500 surety, €1,400 bond, twice-daily sign-on, 8pm–8am curfew, and exclusion from Dublin 2. He is due back in District Court later in October for the DPP's directions.
victim, Michael Healy-Rae, male, irish (judged from name)Michael Healy-Raeaccused, Anthony Foley, 51, male, named, irish (judged from name)Anthony Foley - 18 Sep2026Man (51) refused bail after ‘violent and unprovoked attack’ on Michael Healy-Rae
Details of the District Court bail hearing: CCTV evidence of Foley shouting at and punching Healy-Rae, the victim's injuries (laceration needing seven stitches), defence arguments that the case is an identification issue with no line-up carried out, and Judge Dowling's reasoning for refusing bail under Section 2 of the Bail Act.
victim, Michael Healy-Rae, male, irish (judged from name)Michael Healy-Raeaccused, Anthony Foley, 51, male, named, irish (judged from name)Anthony Foley - 18 Sep2026Man charged after assault of independent TD Michael Healy-Rae
Reports the formal charging of the suspect and his scheduled appearance at Dublin District Court; adds details that the assault was through an open car window while Healy-Rae was stopped in traffic driving from the Dáil, and that he received stitches around the mouth after treatment at Kevin Street Garda station and St Vincent's Hospital.
victim, Michael Healy-Rae, male, irish (judged from name)Michael Healy-Raesuspect, 50s, male - 17 Sep2026Gardaí arrest man in connection with alleged Michael Healy-Rae assault
Reports the arrest of the suspect and Assistant Commissioner Roberts' press conference at Dublin Castle stating political motivation cannot be ruled out; Healy-Rae received several stitches to the area around his mouth and was taken to St Vincent's Hospital before returning home to Kerry.
victim, Michael Healy-Rae, male, irish (judged from name)Michael Healy-Raesuspect, male - 17 Sep2026Man arrested after Michael Healy-Rae assaulted in Dublin
Reports the arrest of the suspect (a man in his 50s) under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984, and that Healy-Rae was treated at St Vincent's Hospital before returning home to Kerry.
victim, Michael Healy-Rae, male, irish (judged from name)Michael Healy-Raesuspect, 50s, male - 17 Sep202617/09/2026 Court Appearance – Assault, Cork Street, Dublin 8 – 16th September 2026
Garda press release confirming a man in his 50s has been charged over an assault on Cork Street, Dublin 8, on 16 September 2026, with a court appearance scheduled for 18 September 2026 at Dublin District Court.
suspect, 50s, male - 17 Sep202617/09/2026 Arrest- Assault, Cork Street, Dublin 8- 16th September 2026
Official garda.ie press release confirming the arrest; no additional details beyond what was previously reported in case 281.
suspect - 17 Sep202617/09/2026 Update (1) Arrest- Assault, Cork Street, Dublin 8- 16th September 2026
Initial arrest report with minimal details; no victim or suspect named, no specific charges or injury details provided.
suspect, 50s, male - 16 Sep2026Assault on Michael Healy-Rae increases fears over TD safety
Initial report of the assault on the day it occurred, including details of the attack, the Gardaí response, the victim's condition, and political reactions from TDs.
victim, Michael Healy-Rae, 50s, male, irish (judged from name)Michael Healy-Raesuspect, male