Gardaí believe an attack by an armed gang on a house in North Cork, which led to a 12-year-old girl needing emergency brain surgery, may be linked to an earlier incident in Co Limerick, when a man and a woman were injured in an attack on a caravan.
Officers investigating the attack on the house on the New Line in Charleville at around 11.30pm on Monday night are strongly of the view that it was part of an ongoing feud between two rival families from Cork and Limerick.
They believe that it may be linked to an aggravated burglary at a caravan in Co Limerick in early August, when four men armed with slash hooks and hammers broke into the property and attacked a man and a woman, causing them injury.
Investigators believe that this week’s attack in Charleville was in retaliation for that earlier incident. They have begun examining social media postings to try to identify which members of the two families may be involved in the two incidents.
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Earlier this summer, a member of the Charleville family posted a message on social media, while under the influence of alcohol, challenging members of the other family to a fight after Cork beat Limerick in the All-Ireland hurling semi-final.
Gardaí are now trying to find out whether the Limerick family posted any response, including threats or warnings on social media. Gardaí are examining TikTok and other social media belonging to members of both families.
Officers have also begun canvassing businesses and homeowners in Charleville for CCTV from late on Monday night, to try to see if they can identify the five men who they believed travelled in one car to carry out the attack on the house in Charleville.
“We’re harvesting CCTV footage from all the approach roads to Charleville – from garages and other business premises and houses on the approach roads, as well as CCTV from the centre of town to try to identify the car and the gang involved in this attack,” said a Garda source.
The girl was at home with her mother and her two younger sisters and younger brother, when a car pulled up nearby and five masked men armed with slash hooks and other implements got out.
They first began attacking the family’s car parked outside the house before turning their attention to the property where they began smashing windows, including a glass panel in the front door. This is when the young girl was injured.
It is understood that the girl was standing just inside the door in the hallway with her mother when one of the attackers smashed the glass in the door with a slash hook, which struck the girl on the head causing a severe laceration as well as a fracture to her skull.
The girl also suffered multiple smaller cuts when she was hit by the flying glass. While she remained conscious, she was bleeding profusely when HSE ambulance personnel arrived on the scene. Paramedics moved quickly to staunch the bleeding.
The girl was rushed by ambulance to Cork University Hospital, where scans revealed her skull had been fractured and a bone fragment had been driven inward. She was transferred at 5am on Tuesday to Children’s Health Ireland at Temple Street to undergo emergency surgery.
Garda sources have told The Irish Times that doctors at Temple Street have told them the surgery went well, and they were able to stop an internal brain bleed with had occurred. That they are confident that the child will make a good recovery from her injuries.
Investigators took a brief statement at the scene from the girl’s mother who witnessed the entire incident before she left to accompany her daughter to hospital, but they are hoping to take a full statement from her at a later stage in the coming days.
Supt Gary McPolin, who heads up Garda Community Engagement in Cork North West, said that the attack on the house on the New Line in Charleville late on Monday night was appalling as he urged members of the public to assist gardaí in bring the culprits to justice.
“This is utterly reprehensible – a gang of armed men attacked a family home late at night and injured a 12-year-old girl who had to undergo emergency surgery after suffering a severe head wound, it really is a most heinous act,” Supt McPolin told The Irish Times.
“This was a horrific incident where a family were attacked in their own home, and I would urge anyone who can assist gardaí to come forward – there can be no complacency or bystander apathy about this because we need people who can assist us to come forward.”
Garda technical experts carried out a forensic examination at the scene and officers have appealed to anyone who may have witnessed this incident or seen any suspicious activity in the New Line area of Charleville between 10.30pm and midnight on Monday night to contact them.
They are particularly anxious to speak to anyone with camera footage (including dashcam footage) from the area at the time and they can be contacted at Mallow Garda station on 022 31450, the Garda Confidential Line at 1800 666 111, or any Garda station.
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