Timeline: How the knife attack and Dublin riots unfolded
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Several vehicles were set on fire and some stores were looted in Dublin on Thursday amid some of the worst rioting seen in the capital in decades.
By the time darkness fell, gardaí from the public order unit were attempting to contain the unrest and restore public order after the stabbing of three young children and a woman in Dublin's Parnell Square earlier in the afternoon.
Here is how the events of the last 24 hours unfolded:
As a group of young children line up by Gaelscoil Cólaiste Mhuire, a Dublin city primary school attended by 172 pupils, a man approaches and attacks some of them with a knife.
Three children, and a woman in her 30s, are injured in the violent incident.
Across the street, some members of the public on a lunch break from the inquest into the Stardust Tragedy at the Pillar Room of the nearby Rotunda Hospital spot the commotion by the school and rush across the street. They, and a number of passersby, intervene in the attack.
They include Deliveroo driver, Caio Benicio, who took off his helmet and used it "as a weapon" to hit the man on the head.
The assailant is disarmed, and those injured are brought back to the school. An ambulance is called and arrives on the scene within four minutes.
Those attending the Stardust inquest are informed that "a very serious incident" has occurred along the perimeter of the hospital grounds. The inquest is suspended for the afternoon.
Media and social media reports begin to emerge of a serious incident in Dublin city.
Gardaí confirm they are at the scene of "a serious incident" on Parnell Square East.
Gardaí confirm five casualties as a result of the incident: three young children, a woman in her 30s, and a man in his 50s. Gardaí also say they are following a "definite line of inquiry" and not "looking for any other person at this time."
Gardaí issue more information on the condition of the victims.
One of the children, a five-year-old girl, is taken to CHI Temple Street with serious injuries. The other two children—a boy, 5, and a girl, 6—is brought to CHI Crumlin for treatment of less serious injuries.
The woman, a creche worker in her 30s, is taken to the Mater Hospital with serious injuries. Gardaí say the man, 50s, is being treated at a hospital in the Dublin region and is a "person of interest" in the investigation.
Gardaí say they are working to establish a motive for the attack, but they believe it is a "standalone" incident and not terror-related.
More than 150 protestors descend on the area of Dublin city where the attack took place. As darkness falls, some clash with gardaí in the area.
Disorder worsens as protestors with covered faces set off fireworks and set fire to a garda patrol car near O'Connell Street. The garda riot squad is called.
At a press briefing, Garda Commissioner says that a "full investigation" into Thursday afternoon's "very serious and awful attack" is taking place. He also condemns the "disgraceful scenes" of protestors clashing with gardaí in the capital.
“We have serious public order scenes to deal with in the city," Mr Harris says.
“People need to calm down and go home."
He says that, as officers gathered evidence, a "hooligan faction driven by far-right ideology" began to cause disruption. He says gardaí have drafted in the resources to deal with the unrest.
He urges people to "act responsibly" and not to listen to "misinformation and rumour" circulating on social media.
"The facts are being established, the facts are still not clear, and a lot of the rumour and innuendo has been spread for malevolent purposes."
Justice Minister Helen McEntee says the perpetrator of this afternoon's attack "will be brought to justice."
She also says that scenes in Dublin city centre "cannot and will not be tolerated."
"A thuggish and manipulative element must not be allowed use an appalling tragedy to wreak havoc," the minister says.
"We will not tolerate a small number using an appalling incident to spread division. I would appeal for calm in the city centre as An Garda Síochána carry out their work—attacks on members of An Garda Síochána must be utterly condemned and will be dealt with severely.
"Most importantly, we must remember the real tragedy of today and allow the investigations to take their course."
The public order situation in Dublin continues to deteriorate, as the garda public order unit struggles to contain the unrest. Social media footage shows a pair of buses, garda patrol cars, and a Luas carriage, set alight by protestors.
: Reports emerge of looting of some stores in Dublin city centre including Arnotts and Foot Locker on O'Connell Street.
Luas operator announces that all Luas services have been suspended due to the disorder.
Gardaí close off access to Kildare Street, Molesworth Street, and other roads in the city as clashes continue
The Rotunda Hospital advises people not to attend the hospital unless absolutely necessary
Irish Rail announces that Tara St Station has closed.
Justice Minister says "thugs" are using the appalling attack in Dublin on Thursday afternoon to "sow division and to wreak havoc" in Dublin. She says: "There will be arrests, people will be put in prison and order will be restored."
Dublin Bus announces that all of its services have been suspended.
Units of Dublin Fire Brigade work to put out fires in several areas of the capital.
Gardaí say the situation in the capital has quietened somewhat and is now "mainly calm."
: Tara St Station re-opens.
Major traffic disruption around the capital due to the suspension of public transport services.
Garda Chief Superintendent Patrick McMenamin says, in a post on X, that the situation in Dublin is "returning to normal" following "significant levels of public disorder, criminal damage and violence."
Chief Supt McMenamin says the violence and disorder had "nothing to do with the violent assault which occurred on Parnell Square this afternoon. It was gratuitous thuggery."
Dublin City Council workers begin clean-up operations.
Some bus services resume as public disruption in Dublin continues.
"Significant" garda presence still on the streets
Some Luas services resume
Rotunda Hospital says any patients with appointments at the hospital can come in as scheduled.
Garda Commissioner Drew Harris gives some more information on the fall-out from Thursday's rioting. He says 400 officers were deployed to deal with the unrest, supported by 250 public order officers.
He says seven vehicles were damaged by fire—including three buses, three Garda patrol cars and a Luas tram. Eight other garda vehicles were extensively damaged and one member of An Garda Síochána was seriously injured. 34 people were arrested, with 32 due to appear in court on Friday. Thirteen properties were attacked and substantially damaged.
Justice Minister Helen McEntee says those who took part in the rioting will be brought to justice.
"There are thousands of hours of CCTV footage that gardaí will go through, many didn’t cover their faces, that CCTV will be gone through and they will be apprehended and they will be brought before the courts as well," the minister says.
“We have very, very strong legislation—up to 10 years in prison with up to 12 years as well for someone who assaulted a member of An Garda Síochána."
Some city centre streets re-open to traffic.
Garda investigation into Thursday's Dublin riots has commenced.
At a press conference, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar says that those who took part in the rioting have brought "shame" upon Ireland. He says that up to 500 people are believed to have been involved in the disorder. Dublin, he says, witnessed "two terrible attacks" on Thursday.
"The first was an attack on innocent children, the second an attack on our society and the rule of law."
Gardaí confirm that the five-year-old girl injured in the knife attack remains in a serious condition in hospital.
All Dublin Bus services resume
Clean-up and repair operations continue across the capital.
Leo Varadkar says the cost of repairing the damage of the riots could amount to tens of millions of euro.
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has expresses no confidence in the Justice Minister and Garda Commissioner following the riots, which she says led to “an unacceptable, unprecedented collapse in policing”.