Police have stepped up uniformed patrols in Dublin after a shooting incident at a restaurant on Christmas Eve.
A man in his 20s died and a man in his 40s is receiving treatment for gunshot wounds after the incident at 8pm on Sunday. He remains in a serious condition in Connolly hospital.
It is understood gardai are investigating whether the deceased man was a participant in the attack at Browne’s Steakhouse on Blanchardstown main street.
Uniform patrols in the Dublin region, with support from armed patrols including the Garda armed support unit, have been increased in response to the incident.
Gardai have also appealed to the public not to share videos from the scene, and to be aware of “a significant level of speculation, misinformation and disinformation”.
No arrests have been made.
The Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, earlier said he was “shocked” to hear about the shooting at “a well-known family restaurant I’ve visited many times”.
“Full Garda investigation under way. My thanks to them and solidarity to staff and customers,” Varadkar said on X, formerly Twitter.
The scene remains preserved as a technical examination is carried out by the garda technical bureau.
The state pathologist is to carry out a postmortem examination of the dead man on Tuesday at the City Morgue in Whitehall.
The minister for justice, Helen McEntee, also condemned the shooting, saying it was “disgusting” that the violence had taken place where families had come together before Christmas. “I deplore the violence in Blanchardstown tonight. This viciousness has resulted in unimaginable human suffering this Christmas,” she said on Instagram.
“That anyone could perpetrate such violence as families gathered together is especially disgusting.
“I’m thinking of the bereaved, those who were at the scene and indeed all the emergency service personnel working tonight and over Christmas who have to deal with this senseless violence.
“I call on anyone with information of any kind to contact An Garda Síochána.”
PA Media contributed to this report
• This article was updated on the day of publication, 25 December 2023, to reflect news developments. However, the headline of an early version referred to a “fatal shooting” when, as the text of the article reported, there was uncertainty over the circumstances in which the man in his 20s died.
