A teenage English tourist who lost his little finger during an assault by a gang of youths in Dublin city centre on St Patrick's Day has spoken of the alleged attack saying he suspected his finger was stamped off.
Guy Wallace (17) was walking on O'Connell Street at 8pm when he says he was confronted by up to five youths and assaulted.
His finger was ripped off in the ensuing fracas. Although he eventually escaped and contacted gardaí, they were unable to locate his finger.
The teenager, a keen pianist, is being treated at Dublin's Mater Hospital and awaiting referral to a plastic surgery unit in Britain.
The teenager told RTE radio he had gone to get money when he was approached by the group one of them asking where he was from.
"I said England and they started getting quite aggressive very quickly."
He said he pleaded with the group not to hurt him.
"I got a punch in the face and I was on my side and I couldn't see and my hand was laid out and then all I could feel was this excruciating pain in my hand," he said.
"My guess is they took my hand over to the curb and they stomped my finger off."
A Garda Press Office spokeswoman said Gardai are still trying to establish exactly what happened and she could not comment further.
"It is being fully investigated. They're just trying to fully establish exactly what happened," she said.
The young man arrived in Dublin with friends on Monday morning to celebrate St Patrick's Day and a friend's birthday and was due to fly home yesterday morning.
Speaking from Dublin Airport this afternoon the teenager said he was flying back to Bristol today before heading to Plymouth where he would undergo surgery in a special plastics unit.
His father William told RTE this morning his son would remember little of the attack other than that he was going to get a hamburger and some cash from a money machine.
"He was approached, asked where he came from, he was then attacked and he was apparently hit in the face," his father said.
His finger was severed at the base during the attack and has not been recovered.
Mr Wallace said his son was not sure exactly where the attack happened and gardaí believed it may not have happened in O'Connoll Street.
"Guy ran, he couldn't really see where he was going and he doesn't really know the city," Mr Wallace said.
Rugby player and pianist Guy was due to travel to Holland on Friday for a rugby tournament which he will now miss.
Mr Wallace did not believe it was unusual this type of attack had happened near O'Connell Street.
"I understand there were quite a number of incidents. It's not peculiar to Ireland. I think it could happen anywhere in the world and of course it could have been much worse," Mr Wallace said.
"He is a very keen pianist, not a concert pianist but let's hope he can adapt without his little finger."
A decision on whether Guy can be transferred to a hospital in Britain is expected to be made later today.
Gardaí were unable confirm if any arrests have been made in connection with the assault.
Yesterday, ambulance services in Dublin said they had responded to nearly 600 calls by 6am in what was a busy St Patrick's night for gardaí and emergency services. Nearly all the calls were alcohol-related a fire brigade spokeswoman said.