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The woman who risked her own life to try and protect children from a knife-wielding attacker has been called a ‘hero’.
Leanne Flynn is still in hospital after a man attacked her and three children aged five and six in Dublin on Thursday.
A five-year-old girl is still in critical condition after undergoing emergency surgery at Temple Street Children’s Hospital, while two other young victims, a five-year-old boy and a six-year-old girl, have both been discharged from Crumlin Children’s Hospital.
Leanne, their brave carer, was described as being in a serious but stable condition in Dublin’s Mater Hospital.
Her brother Jonathan hailed her as a hero in a comment posted to a GoFundMe page, organised to raise money as a thank you to those who intervened during the knife attack.
His comment said: ‘Leanne hasn’t been able to share her story with everybody yet so I’m not gonna put up any details here, but she is a hero and I’m so proud of my sister.
‘Thanks to everyone who has donated and I hope all involved fully recover.’
Officials at the boxing club where Leanne’s son Josh boxes, and where her partner Anthony Geraghty is a coach, also paid tribute.
In a message posted on social media, Cabra Boxing Club member Damien Flood wrote: ‘Our thoughts and prayers are with our club coach Anto, and our boxer Josh Geraghty, whose partner [and mother] was involved and saved numerous kids’ lives.
‘We wish her a speedy recovery.’
Dublin North inner city-based Independent Councillor, Nial Ring, added: ‘No one who knows Leanne is surprised that she got involved. She certainly stepped up to the mark and above the call of duty and the parents are so grateful for what she did.
‘Her instinct was to look after the children.’
Fr Paul Churchill of St Joseph’s parish in Phibsboro on Dublin’s northside described Leanne as a ‘good soul’.
He told the Irish Mail on Sunday: ‘It’s sad to hear that it was Leanne. I worked with her to celebrate her mother’s funeral and she came across as a very decent lady, a good soul.
‘I was thinking myself whether I would get involved to protect children, to do something for them.
‘You would hope you would intervene and try to protect people. I’d say most people instinctively would try to protect children.
‘I think this has caused us all to think of a new dimension of safeguarding children in a way that we would ever have thought we’d have to think about.
‘We prayed for Leanne and the children today and will add extra prayers for her.
‘Someone also prayed for the man involved in the altercation thinking he may need help too.’
The suspect, a man in his late 40s, is still in hospital after being tackled to the ground by passers-by during the attack.
He will be formally questioned by Gardaí once he is considered fit by medical staff.
Meanwhile, Irish police confirmed at least 34 people have been arrested after chaos erupted in the Irish capital in response to the stabbing.
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