Youth To Appear In Irish Court Over Army Chaplain Stabbing

Dublin: A teenager will appear in court on Saturday for allegedly stabbing an army chaplain outside a barracks in western Galway, with Police probing a potential terror motive for the attack.

Police said Saturday that they had charged the youth after he was arrested at the scene outside Galway's Renmore Barracks on Thursday.

He was restrained by soldiers who fired warning shots during the incident.

The victim Paul Murphy, who is in his 50s, was treated for "serious but not life-threatening" injuries, after being stabbed several times.

The Special Detective Unit within Ireland's police -- which is responsible for responding to terror threats -- is now leading the investigation.

"One line of inquiry is to establish if this attack had a terrorism motivation," Irish police, known as Garda Siochana, said in a statement on Friday.

However, the force added that it "wishes to reassure the public that at this time it is not believed this incident is part of a wider conspiracy".

Prime Minister Simon Harris called it "a serious attack on a member of the Defence Forces" but urged people to wait for the police investigation.

The incident is the latest tumult to hit Ireland and neighbouring Britain, which have both seen anti-immigration riots in recent weeks.

The boy is expected to appear before Galway District Court on Saturday afternoon.

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