A man has been hospitalised with serious injuries after masked men armed with machetes and slash hooks stormed a boxing event in Ireland.
Gardaí were called to Castlerea Boxing Club in Castlerea, County Roscommon, during Friday’s National Boy 4 Boxing Championship quarterfinals.
Footage on social media showed horrified onlookers, competitors and officials fleeing after a group of men burst into the venue.
A man in his 40s sustained a wound on his face but gardaí said he could have been killed in the brawl, a police force told the Irish Examiner.
Video showed the man trying to protect himself from up to four men, three of them masked, with a chair.
One slashed into the chair with a machete before the victim ran down the arena with the men in hot pursuit. Other attackers appeared to use slash hooks.
Detectives believe the chaos, which lasted only 40 seconds, broke out between members of a ‘feuding family’.
Gardaí are analysing videos taken of the incident and gathering local intelligence.
Officers are appealing for anyone who may have seen a White/Silver Audi A4 car travelling in the Castlerea and Ballintubber areas of Roscommon between 8.30pm and 11.30pm to contact them.
The force said in a statement: ‘Gardaí are appealing for witnesses following an alleged assault which occurred at a premises at Demesne, Castlerea, Co. Roscommon, on the evening of Friday 1 March 2024.
‘The incident occurred at approximately 9.45pm, when a male, aged in his 40’s, was assaulted.
‘He received medical treatment at the scene and was later conveyed to Galway University Hospital for treatment for serious injuries. No further injuries were reported at the time.’
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