A MAN remained in a critical condition in hospital last night following an assault outside a late-night shop in which his arm was nearly severed.
Surgeons at the Mater hospital in Dublin spent several hours operating in an effort to reattach the arm of the 35-year-old man, who is a Romanian national.
The man was attacked with a machete or a sharp knife after he went to a shop for supplies in Dublin early yesterday morning.
The assault happened at about 1.30am near a Spar shop in Phibsboro on the North Circular Road near the city centre.
The man left the shop and a row ensued with two men outside, who attacked him and severely injured him.
He attempted to walk to the nearby Mater hospital, and was helped by two uniformed gardaí who happened to be in the area at the time of the incident.
A trail of blood was still visible on the footpath yesterday morning at Goldsmith Street near the scene of the attack.
It is believed the victim was given a blood transfusion on arrival at the hospital.
A couple of hours after the incident two men from Coolock were arrested in a flat on the North Circular Road.
They were taken to Store Street Garda station for questioning.
The suspects were being detained under section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act. The men are aged 27 and 30.
A Garda spokesman described the attack as a “vicious assault”, and said they were still trying to determine if it was racially motivated.
Gardaí have asked anyone who was in the vicinity of the incident to contact them at Mountjoy Garda station. Witnesses can also call the Garda confidential line on 1800 666111.
