Man in critical condition after Dublin standoff

A man is in a critical condition in hospital tonight having sustained a gunshot wound to the head outside his south Dublin home.

Gardaí had responded to reports of gunfire at an address in Farrenboley Park, Windy Arbour, Dundrum this afternoon. It is understood that on arrival at the scene, officers approached a stationary vehicle with a man inside but made the decision to withdraw due to the potential volatility of the situation and in the interest of public safety.

The stand-off lasted for approximately two hours with disbelieving residents gathered around a heavy garda cordon blocking access to the street.

Neighbours were unable to come to terms with what had happened.

One, who did not give her name, said she had gone out to the shops and came home to find the street cordoned off.

“He’s a terribly nice fella,” she said. “It’s a very quiet area; it’s like a little bit of country in the city.”

It was not immediately clear what happened in the build up to the stand-off but emergency services quickly surrounded the road which had previously been known as the Farrenboley Cottages.

“I’ve never seen anything like this before,” another neighbour said. “It’s like a siege, there are guards all around.”

Gardaí released a statement saying they were “dealing with an incident” outside the house involving a man in his forties.

Several units of the Dublin fire brigade, paramedics and the garda helicopter all attended the scene and the man was taken away in an ambulance.

“The incident commenced today at 3.30pm and was brought to a conclusion at about 5.20pm,” gardai reported yesterday evening.

“The man has been removed by ambulance to St Vincent’s Hospital suffering from a head injury. The incident is under investigation.”