An elderly priest suffered a fractured skull in a
savage beating in a house burglary in the Rialto area of Dublin city.
Fr Diarmuid Byrne, 69, was seriously assaulted.
His injuries required 30 stitches to his head.
Gardai
were alerted to possible intruders in a house on St Anthony's road, in
the early hours of Wednesday morning at approximately 1.25am.
When they arrived at the house they found Fr Byrne lying on the ground inside with serious head injuries.
He was taken immediately to St James Hospital for treatment.
His injuries while serious are not life threatening.
A
23 year-old man was arrested on Herberton road shortly afterwards and
detained at Kilmainham Garda station under the provisions of Section 4
of the Criminal Justice Act 1984 as amended.
Gardai in Kilmainham are appealing for witnesses or anyone who may have any information to contact them.