A prisoner has been left seriously injured and fighting for his life after another attack in Mountjoy Jail last weekend.
It is understood he was beaten up by successive groups of two men in his cell. The inmate was rushed to the nearby Mater Hospital where at one stage prison officers thought he was going to die because he lost so much blood.
He had to have his spleen removed in an emergency operation and also suffered several broken ribs. Mountjoy prison sources say the man is going to live but endured a "terrible beating." He is linked to the Kinahan crime gang in the jail.
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Prison staff say the gardai were contacted over the incident although the gardai had no comment to make. Internal disciplinary action will also be taken against the prisoners involved. This is the latest serious incident in Mountjoy following the death of Dubliner Robert O'Connor, 34, who was also attacked in a cell last August.
He was beaten to a pulp by a group of men and died a few days later in hospital after suffering serious head injuries. A number of prisoners were questioned by detectives and charges are being considered over the incident.
Prison officers say they haven't got sufficient staff at times to protect all the inmates in Mountjoy which can sometimes rise to over 700 . Much of the shortages are caused by Covid and long term illness. A source said: " Mountjoy is a powder keg at times. We don't have enough staff to protect all the prisoners. The truth is, lives are in danger and it is wrong.
"No wonder so many prisoners in Irish jails don't want to interact with other inmates for fear of being attacked. No Irish prisoner should ever be in danger of being killed in prison."
With almost full employment in the country, the prison authorities are also finding it difficult to recruit and retain younger members of staff even though prison officers are well paid. This is the second incident in Irish Prisons this week. Another prisoner Daniel Murtagh was attacked and had his face sliced in an incident in the Midlands Prison.
He is serving life after being convicted over the murder of young Wicklow mother Nadine Lott. The Irish Prison Service confirmed that an incident in Mountjoy did take place but will not comment on cases involving individual prisoners.
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