Priest in serious condition after ‘brutal attack' in Co Down church
Detectives are appealing for information in relation to the incident in Downpatrick, which took place at around 10.10am.
It was reported to police that a man walked into the church in St Patrick's Avenue and hit the priest on the head with a bottle.
The priest was taken to hospital where he is in a serious condition.
Detective Chief Inspector McBurney said: 'This was a completely shocking and brutal attack and has left the priest with a serious head injury.
'Our inquiries are ongoing into this incident, and we are appealing to anyone who witnessed the assault, or has any information to contact police on 101 and quoting reference 543 of 10/08/25.'
People can also submit a report on the PSNI website or anonymously through Crimestoppers.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BreakingNews.ie
9 minutes ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Priest in ‘serious but stable condition' following attack in Downpatrick
A Co Down priest remains in a 'serious but stable' condition in hospital after being subjected to a 'brutal attack' in his church on Sunday. Father John Murray was reportedly struck on the head at St Patrick's Church. Advertisement He was approached by a man who asked if he would hear his confession ahead of the Sunday morning service, and attacked as shocked parishioners arrived for mass. Father Murray had been due to retire later this week. Police have said the attack may be linked to the death of a man in Downpatrick. A 30-year-old man remains in police custody, being questioned on suspicion of murder after a man was found dead at an address in the Marian Park area at about 12pm on Sunday. Advertisement A prayer vigil was held at St Brigid's Church in the town on Sunday night. On Monday morning, the Downpatrick Family of Parishes said, 'Canon Murray continues to receive exceptional care. 'He is stable and comfortable.' They added that S t Patrick's Church and its grounds remained closed. Advertisement SDLP South Down MLA Colin McGrath described shock and disbelief in Downpatrick following the events of Sunday. 'First of all the community would want to have thoughts and prayers with the family of the deceased individual, and I know that that community in and around the Marian Park area will wrap around them and support them,' he told the BBC. 'Then the shocking nature and the graphic nature of the attack on Father Murray on what was supposed to be the commencement of his retirement, in a public manner and in daylight, exposes an awful lot of vulnerability in that scenario but also more widely, for clergy across Ireland, and other workers in the community, what can happen in the blink of an eye.'
BreakingNews.ie
9 minutes ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Man (30s) arrested after aggravated Cork burglary hospitalises one
A man in his 30s has been arrested after an aggravated burglary at a residence in Mayfield in Cork on Monday morning. The incident occurred at around 12.40am in the Lagan Grove area. Advertisement Three men entered the residence armed with implements and confronted the occupants before fleeing. Gardaí on patrol in the area responded to the incident and arrested the man. He is detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984 at a garda station in the Co Cork area. One of the occupants of the residence, a man who is also in his 30s, was brought to Cork University Hospital for treatment of injuries believed to be non-life threatening. A technical examination of the scene has been conducted by gardaí, and they have appealed for anyone with information about the incident to come forward. Any road users or pedestrians who may have camera footage, including dash cam, and were in the Lagan Grove area of Mayfield, Cork city, between midnight on Sunday, August 10th and 1am on Monday, 11 August, have been asked to make their footage available to investigating gardáí. Anyone with information has been asked to contact Mayfield Garda Station on (021) 455 8510, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any garda station. Investigations are ongoing, a garda statement said.
The Independent
39 minutes ago
- The Independent
Tourist killed in Puerto Rico had flown over for Bad Bunny concert
A US tourist visiting Puerto Rico for a Bad Bunny residency has been fatally shot in the early hours of Sunday morning at La Perla, a well-known seaside community, according to police. The victim has been identified as 25-year-old Kevin Mares, a New York resident. The shooting occurred at a nightspot named 'Shelter for Mistreated Men' within La Perla, a coastal area that has long grappled with its troubled past. Homicide detective Sergeant Arnaldo Ruiz stated in a phone interview that the incident unfolded when an argument broke out among several individuals near Mr Mares. A firearm was then produced, and at least three people, including Mr Mares, were shot. Two other men, residents of La Perla, sustained injuries and are currently hospitalised. Ruiz said Mares was an innocent bystander. He was with three other friends who told police they were in Puerto Rico for one of Bad Bunny 's 30 concerts, which have attracted tens of thousands of visitors to the U.S. territory. Mares was shot on the left side of his abdomen and was taken to Puerto Rico's largest public hospital, where he died, authorities said. Ruiz said police don't yet know what the people were arguing about and don't have a description of the shooter. 'We have very little information,' he said. Ruiz added that Mares' three friends also were from New York. He didn't have their hometowns. La Perla is located on the outskirts of a historic district popular with tourists known as Old San Juan. A couple hundred people live in the shantytown, which once served as Puerto Rico's biggest distribution point for heroin and was known for its violence. Police used to avoid the community, which used to have a sign proclaiming, 'Not open to visitors. Do not enter.' But violence eased when hundreds of federal agents raided the slum in 2011 and arrested dozens of people, including a well-known community leader who was later convicted. The neighborhood became even safer and more welcoming after Puerto Rican singers Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee featured it in their hit, 'Despacito.' But isolated, violent incidents persist. In February 2023, three tourists were stabbed after police said a person told them to stop filming inside the community. Then in April 2024, a 24-year-old tourist from Delaware was killed and his body set on fire after police said he and a friend were attacked following a drug purchase. Police said the victims were trying to take pictures of La Perla after being warned not to do so. The island of 3.2 million people has reported 277 killings so far this year, compared with 325 killings in the same period last year.
