Ireland Major criminal identified in Ballyfermot mob attack on two Gardaí
A volatile criminal in his early 30s with over 100 convictions has been identified as playing a central role in a mob attack on two Gardaí in Ballyfermot, southwest Dublin, on 20 February 2023, during which one officer was struck in the face with a bottle and four Garda vehicles were damaged. No one has yet been arrested in connection with the attack itself.
- Reported20 Feb
3 reports - Arrested20 Feb
6 reports - Charged20 Feb
2 reports - In court
- Verdict
- Sentenced
Key facts
consolidated from all reports115 statements extracted from the articles
- whatA Garda was injured when struck by a missile after intervening in a dangerous driving incident (rte.ie)
- whatThe officer was struck in the face by a bottle (rte.ie)
- whatThe officer was intervening to help an elderly woman (rte.ie)
- whatTwo Garda vehicles received significant damage (rte.ie)
- whatGardaí were taking part in a policing plan surrounding a funeral (rte.ie)
- whatPeople on motorbikes, scramblers and horse and carts were on the street (rte.ie)
- whatTwo men were arrested on Kylemore Road in relation to dangerous driving (rte.ie)
- whatTwo motorbikes were seized (rte.ie)
- whatBoth men were released pending file to the DPP (rte.ie)
- whatA policing plan remained in place in the area overnight (rte.ie)
- whatFour men were arrested on 14 March 2023 (garda.ie)
- whatA mob attacked two plain clothes Gardaí in Ballyfermot, south west Dublin (irishmirror.ie)
- whatSeveral bottles and missiles were thrown at the plain clothes officers (irishmirror.ie)
- whatOne officer was hit in the face with a bottle (irishmirror.ie)
- whatOne officer received facial injuries in the incident (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThe other officer withdrew his ASP baton to protect himself but did not strike anyone (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThe officers withdrew to the safety of their unmarked car (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThe crowd taunted the officers as they withdrew (irishmirror.ie)
- whatGardaí were surrounded and attacked during chaotic scenes in Ballyfermot. (extra.ie)
- whatThe incident followed a funeral for a young man who died unexpectedly earlier that month at the Church of the Assumption in Ballyfermot. (dublinlive.ie)
- whatSeveral bottles and missiles were thrown at two plain clothes officers in Ballyfermot. (dublinlive.ie)
- whatOne garda was hit by a bottle to the face and received medical attention for a suspected broken jaw. (dublinlive.ie)
- whatThe two officers had intervened after an elderly woman was almost hit by one of dozens of scrambler bikes. (dublinlive.ie)
- whatTwo Garda vehicles, a Community Policing Patrol Car and a Marked Patrol Car, received significant damage. (dublinlive.ie, thejournal.ie)
- whatTwo gardaí came under attack when they got out of their patrol car to help a woman allegedly struck by a motorcyclist during a post-funeral demonstration in Ballyfermot. (thejournal.ie)
- whatOne of the gardaí was hospitalised after a crowd of young people turned on the officers. (thejournal.ie)
- whatThe officers were plain-clothes and wearing blue garda stab vests. (thejournal.ie)
- whatA motorcyclist struck a woman who was wheeling a pram, knocking her to the ground. (thejournal.ie)
- whatAn item was thrown at one garda, causing a facial injury. (thejournal.ie)
- whatA group of mostly boys and young men gathered in the centre of Ballyfermot on motorbikes and scooters after a funeral. (thejournal.ie)
- whatTwo Garda cars were damaged in the incident (irishtimes.com)
- whatA garda was struck in the head by a bottle which broke (irishtimes.com)
- whatA large funeral of a young local man was taking place at the church (irishtimes.com)
- whatA group of young people on scramblers drove dangerously around the roundabout causing damage to the grass area (irishtimes.com)
- whatTwo gardaí in an unmarked car kept a watching brief and did not intervene initially (irishtimes.com)
- whatA person on a scrambler nearly hit an elderly woman, prompting the gardaí to get out of their vehicle (irishtimes.com)
- whatBottles and other objects were thrown at the gardaí (irishtimes.com)
- whatAnother group ran at the gardaí, forcing one to draw his baton (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe injured garda was taken to hospital for treatment (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe garda hit by a bottle is expected to be off work for weeks (dublinlive.ie)
- whatThe officer went to hospital for treatment (dublinlive.ie)
- whatThe garda suffered soft tissue injuries to his face and jaw as well as concussion (dublinlive.ie)
- whatThe two gardaí were swarmed by a large group and bottles and missiles were thrown at them (dublinlive.ie)
- whatGardaí had a policing plan in place anticipating scrambler bikes (dublinlive.ie, irishmirror.ie)
- whatGardaí intervened when an elderly woman was almost hit by one of the dozens of scramblers (dublinlive.ie)
- whatA number of garda vehicles were damaged (dublinlive.ie)
- whatA policing plan remained in place that night but no further incidents occurred (dublinlive.ie)
- whatTwo men were arrested at a filling station on Kylemore Road (dublinlive.ie, irishmirror.ie)
- whatThe two men were released with a file going to the DPP (dublinlive.ie, irishmirror.ie)
- whatA Garda was hit in the face by a bottle during the mob attack. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThe officer suffered soft tissue injuries to his face and jaw. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThe officer suffered concussion. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThe officer is expected to be off work for a number of weeks. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatA number of Garda vehicles were damaged during the incident. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatTwo Gardaí were attacked by a mob in Ballyfermot, southwest Dublin. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatOne officer was hit with a bottle in the face. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatDozens of missiles were fired at the two officers. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThe two officers had been assisting an elderly woman who was almost knocked over by a youth on a scrambler bike. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatA major criminal in his early 30s has been identified as playing a central role in the attack. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThe identified criminal has over 100 convictions and has served multiple jail sentences for assault and a hijacking. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThe Garda hit in the face took time off work to recover from concussion and soft tissue injuries. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatFour Garda vehicles were damaged in the area on Monday. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatDozens of masked thugs ran riot and scrambler bikes blocked Garda cars. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatA bike was thrown in the direction of a standing Garda and hit a nearby car. (irishmirror.ie)
- whereThe incidents took place in the Ballyfermot area. (garda.ie)
- whereThe incident occurred in the Cherry Orchard/Ballyfermot area of Dublin (rte.ie)
- whereBoth arrested men were taken to Garda stations in south Dublin (rte.ie)
- whereThe arrests relate to public order incidents in the Ballyfermot area on 20 February 2023 (garda.ie)
- whereThe incident took place in Ballyfermot. (extra.ie)
- whereA garda car was surrounded by bikers at Tynan Hall Grove. (thejournal.ie)
- whereThe incidents took place at the roundabout near the Church of Our Lady of the Assumption in Ballyfermot (irishtimes.com)
- whereThe incident took place in Ballyfermot, south west Dublin. (irishmirror.ie)
- whereThe funeral was held at the Church of the Assumption in Ballyfermot. (irishmirror.ie)
- whereOne Garda car was blocked in at the entrance of Tynan Hall Grove by males on scramblers. (irishmirror.ie)
- whenThe public order incidents occurred on 20 February 2023. (garda.ie)
- whenHe was arrested on 14 March 2023. (garda.ie)
- whenThe incident occurred on 20 February 2023 (rte.ie)
- whenThe attack occurred earlier on Monday 20 February 2023 (irishmirror.ie)
- whenThe incident occurred on Monday 20 February 2023. (dublinlive.ie)
- causeThe incident followed a local funeral of a man who died unexpectedly. (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationInvestigations into the incidents are ongoing. (garda.ie)
- investigationThe men were detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984 (garda.ie)
- investigationThe fourth man, in his 20s, remains detained in a Garda station in DMR West (garda.ie)
- investigationInvestigations are ongoing (garda.ie)
- investigationTwo men were arrested for dangerous driving on the Edenmore Road area of Ballyfermot and released with a file going to the DPP. (dublinlive.ie)
- investigationTwo motorbikes were seized in connection with the dangerous driving incidents. (dublinlive.ie)
- investigationGardaí had put in place an information-led policing plan in advance of the event. (dublinlive.ie)
- investigationTwo men were arrested on Kylemore Road in relation to dangerous driving and two motorbikes were seized. (thejournal.ie)
- investigationBoth arrested males were taken to Garda Stations in South Dublin and released pending file to the DPP. (thejournal.ie)
- investigationGardaí collected images and videos and started identifying those in the crowd. (thejournal.ie)
- investigationTwo men were arrested on Kylemore Road over suspected dangerous driving (irishtimes.com)
- investigationTwo motorbikes were seized by gardaí (irishtimes.com)
- investigationThe two arrested men were released with a file to be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions (irishtimes.com)
- investigationTwo men were arrested and later released for dangerous driving, but no one has been arrested for the attack on the two Gardaí. (irishmirror.ie)
- chargeThe man was charged with dangerous driving and reckless endangerment. (garda.ie)
- chargeThe offences are related to Section 15 of the Public Order Act 1994, namely Violent Disorder (garda.ie)
- chargeThree of the men, two in their 20s and one in his 30s, have been charged (garda.ie)
- courtHe is due to appear before the Criminal Courts of Justice on 15 March 2023 at 10.30am. (garda.ie)
- courtThe three charged men are due to appear before the Criminal Courts of Justice on 14 March 2023 (garda.ie)
- otherHe was the fourth man arrested in connection with the incidents. (garda.ie)
- otherA group of well-known criminals involved in organised crime were central to orchestrating attacks on gardaí in the area. (thejournal.ie)
- otherA garda car was rammed by a stolen vehicle in nearby Cherry Orchard in September 2022 as onlookers cheered. (thejournal.ie)
- otherJust 136 recruits entered the Garda training college that month (irishtimes.com)
- otherLast year 109 garda resigned before retiring, 107 of which were frontline gardaí (irishtimes.com)
- otherThe GRA is to meet with Minister for Justice Simon Harris regarding violent attacks on gardaí (irishtimes.com)
- otherIn September 2022, Minister for Justice Helen McEntee promised a long-term strategy for the Cherry Orchard area of Ballyfermot (irishtimes.com)
- otherThere were 18 fewer Gardaí in the Ballyfermot area compared to a number of years ago (irishtimes.com)
- otherAntoinette Cunningham, AGSI General Secretary, said the Government promised 800 gardaí recruitment last year but achieved just over 120 (dublinlive.ie)
- otherThe incident followed a funeral for a young man who died unexpectedly earlier that month. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherGardaí intervened when an elderly woman was almost hit by one of the bikes. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherBrendan O'Connor, President of the Garda Representative Association, called the issue disturbing. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherAntoinette Cunningham, General Secretary of the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors, said the increase in violence against gardai is unacceptable. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherSinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald raised the issue in the Dáil. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherTaoiseach Leo Varadkar condemned the attack. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherThe criminal has links to gangs based in Ballyfermot and was once the centre of a high-profile manhunt. (irishmirror.ie)
The reporting
newest first- 24 Feb2023Highly dangerous criminal played 'central role' in shock Garda mob attack
Identifies a major criminal in his early 30s with over 100 convictions and Ballyfermot gang links as playing a central role in the mob attack; no arrests made for the assault itself, only two men arrested and released for dangerous driving.
victimvictimsuspect, early 30s, male - 22 Feb2023Garda hit by bottle in brutal mob attack expected to be off work for weeks
Provides the injured officer's condition (soft tissue injuries to face and jaw, concussion, off work weeks), the context that the incident followed a funeral at the Church of the Assumption, details of the policing plan and scrambler bikes, and the arrest and release of two men at a Kylemore Road filling station with a file to the DPP.
victim, malesuspect, malesuspect, male - 22 Feb2023Dublin mob attack garda expected to be off work for weeks
Provides details on the injured garda's injuries (soft tissue to face and jaw, concussion, expected off work for weeks), the context of the incident (funeral at Church of the Assumption, policing plan for scramblers, intervention when elderly woman was nearly hit), damage to garda vehicles, and the arrest and release of two men at a Kylemore Road filling station with a file to the DPP. Also includes comments from GRC and AGSI leaders on policing resources.
victim, malevictimsuspect, malesuspect, male - 21 Feb2023Call for new policing measures after attack on gardaí in Ballyfermot
Provides a detailed account of the incident (funeral context, scramblers, bottles thrown, one garda struck in the head), confirms two men arrested on Kylemore Road over dangerous driving and released with file to DPP, and records the political/union response including the GRA's call for a special task force, recruitment concerns, and statements from the Taoiseach and opposition.
victimvictimsuspect, malesuspect, male - 21 Feb2023Ballyfermot violence: Garda injured as he tried to help woman 'knocked down' by motorbike
Provides the sequence of events (woman wheeling a pram struck by motorbike, gardaí attacked by crowd), confirms one garda was hospitalised with a facial injury, notes two men arrested on Kylemore Road for dangerous driving and released pending file to DPP, two motorbikes seized, two Garda vehicles damaged, and includes statements from GRA President Brendan O'Connor and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar calling it a 'normalisation of violence'.
victim, femalevictim, malesuspect, malesuspect, male - 21 Feb2023Lawless mob attacked gardai helping elderly woman nearly hit by scrambler
Provides more detail on the circumstances: the attack followed a funeral at the Church of the Assumption, a policing plan was in place, the officers intervened when an elderly woman was nearly hit by a scrambler, and two men were arrested for dangerous driving on the Edenmore Road area and released with a file to the DPP. Includes comments from the Garda Representative Association and a local Sinn Féin councillor.
victimvictimsuspect, malesuspect, male - 20 Feb2023Gardai Surrounded And Attacked During Chaotic Scenes In Ballyfermot
The article text contains only website template code with no substantive body text beyond the headline confirming Gardaí were surrounded and attacked in Ballyfermot.
victim - 20 Feb2023Broad daylight attack on two Gardai in Dublin caught on video
Video footage obtained by the Irish Mirror shows the attack in detail: bottles and missiles thrown at the officers, one hit in the face with a bottle, the other withdrawing his ASP baton without striking anyone, and the crowd taunting the officers as they retreated to their unmarked car.
victim, malevictim, male - 20 Feb2023Arrests and Court Appearance: Dangerous Driving and Reckless Endangerment Incident, Ballyfermot, Co. Dublin, 20th February 2023
Four men arrested on 14 March 2023; three (two in their 20s, one in his 30s) charged with violent disorder under Section 15 of the Public Order Act 1994 and due before the Criminal Courts of Justice; fourth man (in his 20s) remains detained in a DMR West Garda station.
suspect, 20s, malesuspect, 20s, malesuspect, 30s, malesuspect, 20s, male - 20 Feb2023Garda injured after being struck by missile in Dublin
Provides details of the incident: the officer was struck in the face by a bottle while helping an elderly woman, the policing plan was surrounding a funeral, two men were arrested on Kylemore Road for dangerous driving, two motorbikes were seized, and the policing plan remained in place overnight.
victim, malesuspect, malesuspect, male - 20 Feb2023Court Appearance: Dangerous Driving and Reckless Endangerment Incident, Ballyfermot, Co. Dublin, 20th February 2023
Fourth man charged in connection with the Ballyfermot public order incidents of 20 February 2023; arrested 14 March 2023, due before the Criminal Courts of Justice on 15 March 2023.
suspect, 20s, male