Boy who died after being attacked by Rottweilers named locally

A seven-year-old boy who died after being attacked by Rottweilers in a house in Dublin on Sunday has been named locally as Glen Murphy.

It is understood the child was mauled by two Rottweilers at about 4pm at a house near Saggart, west Dublin and that the dogs were owned by the boy's family.

The child was taken to nearby Tallaght hospital initially before being transferred to Crumlin children's hospital.

Gardaí confirmed on Monday afternoon that the young boy had died.

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A Garda spokesman said the dog warden had been notified and the Rottweilers had been “confiscated”. They have since been put down.

“A full investigation into this incident is under way by gardaí­ at Tallaght Garda station,” the spokesman said.

The boy has an older sister and was due to turn eight years old in the coming months.

Fr John Gilligan, parish priest in Saggart, said people were "in shock" at what he described as a "great tragedy".

Sean Crowe, Sinn Féin TD for the area, said people are "horrified and appalled" by what happened.

“It is a wake-up call for anyone who has dogs that are in any way dangerous. But I’m conscious that there is a family grieving at the moment, and dogs are as much part of your family as anyone else,” he said.

“At the moment, everyone just wants to send sympathy to the family at this time on their tragic loss.”

Local councillor Louise Dunne said the community has been paying tribute to the young boy on social media.

“I just want to offer my condolences to the family. It’s absolutely devastating. I can’t imagine what it’s like,” she said. “I want to let the family know that I and the rest of the community are thinking of them at this dreadful time.

“I’ve seen a lot of people post on social media how devastated they are for the family. It’s just terrible circumstances.”

Rottweilers are among 11 dog breeds for which ownership restrictions apply in Ireland.

Under the Control of Dogs (Restriction of Certain Dogs) Regulations, they must not be allowed in a public place unless they are on a strong leash or chain no longer than one metre and they must be muzzled.

They are also allowed to be taken outside only by someone over the age of 16 who is capable of controlling the dog.