Gardaí are continuing to investigate the circumstances of a Christmas Eve shooting incident at a busy Dublin restaurant in which one man was killed and another seriously injured.
The incident happened at Browne’s Steakhouse in the Main Street area of Blanchardstown at around 8pm on Sunday.
The restaurant was full of patrons including families with young children, and the violence has been described as “shocking” by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar.
It is understood two men entered the premises and targeted a man in his forties who was dining with a group of people.
One of the two men shot the victim, and it is believed the gunman was tackled and fatally injured.
The other man who entered with the gunman is believed to have fled the scene in a white Audi.
The suspected gunman has been named locally as 26-year-old Tristan Sherry.
The man who was shot was taken to Dublin’s Connolly Hospital, where he remains in a serious condition.
A post-mortem on the deceased was due to be carried out on Tuesday.
It is understood Gardaí are instigating a possible link to organised crime in the shooting, and have also appealed for people not to share footage taken at the scene of the incident on social media.
Leo Varadkar said in a post to X that the shooting occurred at “a well known family restaurant I’ve visited many times”.
“Full Garda investigations are underway. My thanks to them and solidarity to staff and customers,” he added.
Shocked to hear about the shooting today in Blanchardstown in a well known family restaurant I’ve visited many times.
— Leo Varadkar (@LeoVaradkar) December 25, 2023
Full Garda investigation underway. My thanks to them and solidarity to staff and customers.
The Republic’s justice minister Helen McEntee condemned the “disgusting” attack.
“This viciousness has resulted in unimaginable human suffering this Christmas,” she said in a post on Instagram.
“I’m thinking of the bereaved, those who were at the scene and indeed all the emergency service personnel...who have to deal with this senseless violence.”
