Five people have been injured following a stabbing on Parnell Square.
The casualties include an adult male, an adult female and three young children.
One child, a girl, has sustained serious injuries, and the other two children are being treated for less serious injuries, with An Garda Síochána saying they are in contact with parents of all three injured children.
The adult female is being treated for serious injuries and the adult male for less serious injuries.
An Garda Síochána said they are following a definite line of inquiry and are not looking for any other person at this time.
They have added that they do not believe this is a terrorist-related incident, and is an isolated, self-contained incident.
Minister for Justice Helen McEntee said she was “deeply shocked” by the incident.
“This attack has shocked us all, and I have no doubt that the person responsible will be brought to justice.”
“My thoughts now are with the innocent children and the woman who have been attacked, their families, and those who are caring for them at this time,” she said.
Multiple media outlets such as RTÉ and the Irish Independent have reported that a man attacked a group of youths on Parnell Square East with a knife.
The Irish Times reported that multiple by-standers intervened and disarmed the man, and staff from the nearby Rotunda Hospital attended the scene to provide medical assistance.
The area has been sealed off and declared a crime scene.
Videos on Twitter show multiple emergency services and vehicles at the scene.
The incident took place before 2pm, with gardaí saying they are not in a position to confirm information at this time.
Fine Gael councillor Naoise Ó Muirí, told RTÉ that the emergency services response was “incredibly quick.”
He described the exact location as halfway up on the eastern side of the square on the residential side of the street.
More on this story as this breaks.
POV from O’Connell Street. Gardaí and emergency services attending to the scene of a stabbing outside a school on Parnell Square. @thejournal_ie pic.twitter.com/P35615rY1Q
— Mairead Maguire (@maireadmaguire_) November 23, 2023
Parnell Square East closed – serious incident – avoid pic.twitter.com/VzTYOeh2RH
— @naoiseomuiri (@naoiseomuiri) November 23, 2023