Caoimhe Haughey

Good afternoon Ciarán thank you for having me on about this important issue.

I'm shocked by the level, the escalation, but I'm not surprised based, unfortunately, on my own experiences.

So I work in Dublin.

My offices are based on Merchants Quay opposite the forecourts.

And last summer in August, I was on my way back, having enjoyed a very pleasant evening with my staff and on my way back to the office.

And as I was walking along Merchants Quay, where the Merchants Quay clinic is, there was quite a large gathering of people outside.

It was a fine, sunny evening.

I look back with hindsight, I feel I should have walked across to the other side of the road near the river.

but I didn't.

And as I walked down the footpath, a man approached me, somewhat disorientated, unnerved me quite a bit by his demeanour, demanded that I give him a cigarette.

I responded, I'm fairly feisty, as people might know, and I used a profanity in telling him to get away and get out of my space.

Then a woman appeared suddenly at my left shoulder and

She was very aggressive.

Then a few others gathered around, but she was the main protagonist and sort of kept walking in front of me.

I kept going.

I also issued a profanity to her.

And without another moment of realizing what was happening, I was punched in the head and knocked to the ground.

I lay on the ground absolutely terrified.

I'm not sure if it was the woman or others, but there were a number of people around me trying to wrestle my handbag off my shoulder, actually tried to take my glasses out of my hand.

I went into a fetal position on the pavement.