A MAN has been hospitalised with devastating injuries to his arm after he was attacked with a machete in broad daylight in Co. Meath.
The attack occurred in the Killegland area of Ashbourne this afternoon and the victim's arm was "nearly cut off", according to reports.
It is understood that the man, aged in his 20s, was attacked outside a Boots chemist on busy Killegland Street at around 12pm.
The suspect is believed to have pulled up outside the chemist in a car and got out with a machete or large knife, leaving children behind in the vehicle.
He then launched an attack on the victim and "nearly cut his arm off", before driving away from the scene, according to a witness.
Gardaí are investigating whether the attack could be linked to a local feud, a source told Dublin Live.
Gardaí are investigating an attack on a man (20's) in Ashbourne, Meath at 11.20am with what's believed to have been a machete. The suspect fled in a silver Golf in the direction of Dublin. No arrests have been made. Investigations are ongoing.
— Andrea Gilligan (@andreagilligan) April 23, 2018
Local Fine Gael councillor Alan Tobin said is was a “horrific incident”, adding that Ashbourne is “not the type of town that would have things like that going on a lot”.
He said: "If you have a problem go to Gardaí, you should never take it upon yourself.
"The community is shocked to see this happen. Ashbourne never sees incidents like this and we definitely don't want to see any kind of reprisals come from it.
"There would have been children walking to a local pool around that time, and for them to possibly witness something like that would be horrific".
Cllr Tobin added: “When people take the law into their own hands, they don’t really care about anyone but their target."
The scene of the incident has been cordoned off to allow for a forensic examination by Gardaí.
A Garda spokesman said: "Gardaí are investigating an incident which occurred this morning in the Killegland area of Ashbourne, Co Meath on Monday the 23rd of April 2018. A male was taken to hospital with injuries."
