GARDAI have not ruled out paramilitary involvement in an attack on a 19-year-old youth and his mother in Blanchardstown, Dublin, yesterday morning.
Ms Catherine Duignan suffered head and hand injuries and her son was badly bruised when three masked men carrying baseball bats broke into the house at about 2.30 a.m. They shouted "joyrider" at the youth during the incident.
Ms Duignan, who has four other sons, said the attack had nothing to do with driving stolen cars, nor was it a punishment beating.
"If it was a punishment beating why did they hit me? Why did they smash my finger?" she asked. She admitted two of her sons had served prison sentences for stealing cars but they have had their punishment
Detectives said that while no suspects had been identified, subversive activity had not been ruled out. Of the youth, gardai said: "The young fellow has prison convictions for `joyriding'. He is a self-confessed `joyrider' but says he hasn't been involved in that for some time."
Meanwhile, up to 4,000 people took part in a march in Cork city centre yesterday afternoon to protest at the deaths of two young men on St Patrick's night when a stolen car went out of control. The protest was held under the auspices of an umbrella group called People Against Killer Riders.
The deaths of Trevor O'Connell and Stephen Kirby, both 17 and from the Parklands area of Fairhill, brings the number of deaths of young people on Cork's northside as a result of stolen car racing within the past month to three. An 11-year-old boy, Christopher O'Flynn from the Churchfield, area of the city died some weeks ago when the stolen car in which he was a passenger went out of control.
Yesterday's silent protest marched through the city centre to the City Hall where it was met on the steps by the Lord Mayor, Mr Jim Corr. The protesters, joined by members of the bereaved families, handed in a petition to the mayor, bearing thousands of signatures.
Mr Corr said he had consulted gardai and other authorities about the problem. "We need a multifaceted approach involving the local community and the Garda." We also need to reflect on the fact that the time has come to return to the standards of law and order which make a respectable society. That's something with which the people will have to come to grips.