Gardaí have made an appeal to a couple who may have information about the knife attack on a young woman in south inner city Dublin last Saturday.
Máiréad O'Dwyer (27), who works as a researcher for Newstalk 106radio station, was returning home in the early hours when she was set upon in the Lourdes Road-Ave Marie Road area of Rialto.
She was stabbed a number of times and had to undergo almost eight hours of surgery and several blood transfusions early on Sunday. She is believed to be in a critical condition.
Detectives would like to speak to a man and a woman, aged between 20 and 30, who were trying to hail a taxi on Cork Street, opposite the Centra Shop, at 3.20am last Saturday.
Garda sources said that Ms O'Dwyer's injuries suggested a long-bladed knife was used, entering one side of her neck, seriously damaging her larynx, before exiting at the other side. She also sustained a number of wounds to her shoulder and upper chest area.
After the attack Ms O'Dwyer ran towards her home banging on doors of neighbouring houses and shouting for help. She was yards from her home when a neighbour came to her aid.
The gardaí can be contacted at Kevin Street Garda Station, Dublin (01-6669435).