On Friday evening, a young gay Dublin couple on their way home from a trip to Newbridge, Co Kildare were accosted by a gang at the Railway Station and subjected to a brutal homophobic attack. One of the men, named only as Anthony, had to be rushed to Tallaght hospital after he was stabbed four times during the violent assault.

His partner, Gearóid Laighléis, shared on social media how they had enjoyed a great day out and were making their way home. At 6.40pm while waiting for a train, the group attacked them. Laighléis described how he was kicked in the face and beaten to the ground. While his assault continued, one of the gang repeatedly stabbed Anthony.

Laighléis heartbreakingly shared, “Never in my life did I think I would be kneeling next to somebody I’m with, holding their stab wounds to stop the bleeding to keep him alive.” One of the group also reportedly filmed the whole incident on their phone.

Gardaí have confirmed they are investigating, stating, “A man in his 20’s received stab type injuries and was taken to Tallaght University Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. A forensic examination of the scene has been carried out by Garda Scenes of Crime investigators. No arrests have been made at this stage.”

In the wake of the homophobic attack in Newbridge, LGBT Ireland has called for Hate Crime legislation to be put in place as a priority. Their CEO, Paula Fagan, stated, “We have been raising the need for Hate Crime legislation with General Election candidates from all parties over the past two weeks, calling on them to make it a top priority if they are elected. This brutal attack should signal to politicians that urgent action is needed to send out a clear message that Hate Crimes will not be tolerated in this country.”

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If you have been the victim of a hate crime or hate speech, report it to the authorities. A helpline and web chat is also available from LGBT Ireland on their site and at 1890 929 539.