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Gardai forensic teams (Technical Bureau) look at the bullet holes in the windows at the scene of a shooting and siege at Whitechapel Grove, Blanchardstown. Sam Boal via RollingNews.ie

Blanchardstown siege: Shot detectives expected to make full recovery

The two men remain in hospital today.

TWO DETECTIVE GARDAÍ shot during the siege incident in Blanchardstown are expected to make a full recovery. 

The two men in their 30s suffered gunshot injuries during a shootout with a man who barricaded himself in his home in Whitechapel, Dublin 15, yesterday evening. 

One garda suffered gunshot injuries to his hand and foot. Another garda suffered injuries to his foot. 

Both were removed to Connolly Hospital where they are being treated for their injuries.

One detective garda is currently undergoing surgery for his foot injury. 

The men were injured as they took part in a shootout with the man who barricaded himself into his house. 

It’s understood that the man involved in the siege is a known gangland criminal, who has been involved in a years-long feud with another local drug dealer.

Sources have described how the man was in a “distressed state” during the two-hour ordeal. He is to receive medical attention whilst in custody.

The siege came to an end at around 10pm when the man threw two weapons, a handgun and a submachine gun, out his window.

He then exited the house where he was detained. Both firearms and ammunition have been recovered. The man is being held at Blanchardstown Garda Station.

In a statement today, the president of the Garda Representative Association (GRA), Frank Thornton commended the bravery of the men. 

He said: “All members of An Garda Síochána put themselves in harm’s way every day that they go to work in order to protect communities and ensure citizens are kept safe.

“While any incident that results in two members being injured cannot be
considered to have been resolved successfully, it is a credit to the collective policing response and the actions of individual members that the incident was brought to a conclusion without further injury or loss of life,” he added.

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    Mute PerkyBeans
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    Jan 22nd 2012, 10:45 AM

    Free Tibet!!

    78
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    Mute Tony Dunne
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    Jan 22nd 2012, 5:17 PM

    with every packet of kellogs cornflakes,!!!!!!!!!

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    Mute Aranthos Faroth
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    Jan 22nd 2012, 10:41 AM

    If only America would find oil in Tibet.
    They’d just move the troops from Afghanistan in about a week. :D

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    Mute Begrudgy
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    Jan 22nd 2012, 11:05 AM

    Would they Fu.k. America go up against china. No way. Thats a fight they could loose. America are bullies. Bullies pick on the weak.

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    Mute JibberIrish
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    Jan 22nd 2012, 10:48 AM

    So sad. No point in trying to appeal to the world leaders. Need to appeal to the people. “Stop buying/importing goods form china”.

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    Mute John Thomas
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    Jan 22nd 2012, 11:01 AM

    We would be left with very little then unfortunately.

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    Mute JibberIrish
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    Jan 22nd 2012, 11:39 AM

    Ah yes, “local v cheap” a true reflection of who we are today!

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    Mute Don Booker
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    Jan 22nd 2012, 1:04 PM

    The CIA backed a Tibetan revolt against the Chinese until about 1971 when Henry Kissenger decided to withdraw that support in support of growing stronger economic ties with Communist China. Since that time some 250,000 Chinese troops have slowly eroded Tibetan culture on their own soil. Not only that they have committed acts of genocide against Tibetan people. Between disappearances and the famine caused by the ‘Great Leap Forward’ it is thought up to 1 million Tibetans died. These acts by these monks are a distress call to a world that knows all this – but stands idly by.

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    Mute Shanti Om
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    Jan 22nd 2012, 2:06 PM

    Why does the headline say monk, but the article says “former” monk?

    I’ve seen commenters here (on other articles) compare these guys to suicide bombers. They have tried to say that Buddhism fosters extremism – based on these misleading headlines (because they obviously didn’t read the article).

    Self immolation would be the most extravagant, headline grabbing way to kill oneself while minimising damage to others. Unlike a suicide bomber- who’s aims are to take as many down with as possible..
    Plus, if these guys are no longer monks it also raises the question why they left their monastaries – could it be that the monastaries would not approve of such an act? After all, the Dalai Lama has condemned these actions.

    To imply that these men are monks (currently) leaves the impression that these incidents are primarily religiously motivated, which is false.

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    Mute Jeanne Reilly
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    Jan 22nd 2012, 2:28 PM

    This story and many like it are promoting false impressions about Tibet and the Chinese situation. I just returned from a trip to Tibet. It is a cold, hard, third world country. Most Tibetans do not read or write. They have lived for years with only an oral history and no desire to come into the 21st century. They are following their religion, allowed and encouraged. Many of their monestaries are being cleaned and refurbished. Students were debating. All had lines of people waiting to light butter candles and spin prayer wheels. Though out the country, religious freedom was practiced with pilgrim’s prostrating themselves along the road to Lhasa and other holy places. Tibet, like most third world countries need help with medicine and education. The Chinese have provided infrastructure in good roads and railways, modern cities and an airport. I traveled to Tibet thinking China was the enemy but returned realizing change is always difficult and coming into the 21st century from the 16th century is the most difficult. Go and see for youself before you buy into all the rhetoric about “Free Tibet”. What are you freeing Tibet from…being modernized?

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    Mute Michael Quinn
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    Jan 23rd 2012, 12:51 AM

    Unfortunately Jeanne there are still some really uneducated people in existence who prefer scant, incorrect information and propaganda to first hand or second hand accounts. These people who have given you the thumbs down are exactly the sort of people that you here gems like “in the name of democracy” in bar conversations not realising that their beloved Dalai Lama was born into power. Then again freedom to those is likely the best part of the day spent in front of the television watching whatever crap is beamed into their little minds.

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    Mute Michael Quinn
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    Jan 23rd 2012, 12:53 AM

    I’ll take the time to correct myself before the spelling gestapo arrive. *hear*

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    Mute PerkyBeans
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    Jan 23rd 2012, 3:55 AM

    I have also been to Tibet. As you may not realise THEY, DO NOT WANT THE CHINESE THERE,
    They can practise some religious acts but not all! They are repressed. They cannot get a passport, the Chinese are raping their land for minerals and Damning rivers in the mountains to send themselves power. There are still dissappering people. Any head of and Tibetan representative is a Han Chinese.
    As you walked around Lhasa did you see any locals welcoming the Army with machine guns jogging in groups around the town? Celebrating the anniversary of being made brought forward by Chinese.
    Complete ignorance on you part. I cannot believe after being there you come away with such an attitude.
    Would you be ok with, China Deleting our Government, taking over, installing Chinese at every top post in the country, harvest all our resources, and reeducate us, no Chinese, no job.
    Building roads through the hill of Tara…

    The Chinese transport modernisation consists of,
    Better roads and a train line from the china mainland to Lhasa
    To get more Chinese people in and dilute down there culture, people and hopes.

    Open your eyes for god sake

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    Mute Michael Quinn
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    Jan 23rd 2012, 11:47 AM

    @PerkyBeans – In this context it is important to understand the history of Tibet and rule of the respective Lama. Tibet was not a utopia free from internal conflict or strife when it was self governed and Buddhism was not the non-violent philosophy we have come to think of it as here in the west. There were many violent power struggles for centuries and various Lama, vying for power, were at the very centre of these conflicts.

    Opening ones eyes (as you have arrogantly insisted others do) requires one to look at past events, present and what might be in the future to see the bigger picture. Geopolitics has its own hand to play in events also and many of the mainstream accounts you hear about Tibet are falsified to suit certain political agendas.

    Going to a place with your eyes closed and returning with the same perspective doesn’t make you an expert it makes you a fool on the other hand Jeanne has gone with certain beliefs and had the open mindedness to learn and understand a situation from multiple angles.

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    Mute Dave McCarthy
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    Jan 22nd 2012, 1:34 PM

    The monks are doing it due to their happiness that the lovely Marxist state of China is giving them. Another big government success story! Go statists!

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    Mute Gerard Murphy
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    Jan 22nd 2012, 1:43 PM

    Another Dave McCarthy trolling comment

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    Mute Michael Quinn
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    Jan 23rd 2012, 1:02 PM

    Hi Nigel,
    There are many sides to this story and the reasons for an armed presence in Tibet are due to the fact that this is an extremely volatile region of great geopolitical importance with certain countries fanning the flames, not for the idea of democracy (as a Lama born into power is hardly that), but for political reasons.

    Another side to this story is the slavery, involuntary induction into monasteries and child sexual abuse carried out in these monasteries. Historically the Tibetan people were serfs and the land, wealth and power was never distributed equally among the people. If certain countries were not to meddle in the affairs of other countries the conditions would be better and you can be sure that in many cases they are better today than prior to the 1950s.

    I am a believer in autonomy for countries and their people providing the country can govern itself effectively, that the people can do so also and that the region is secured but for Tibet to go back to the ways of old where corruption and poverty were far more evident than today would be disastrous for a people who clearly deserve more.

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    Mute PerkyBeans
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    Jan 23rd 2012, 4:04 AM

    Please do take the time to correct yourself..,
    Why are there, ESCAPED Tibetans living in Nepal, India, Myanmar in far more modernised countries than theirs.
    Yet want nothing more than to return to Their country the way it was before the Chinese plantations/ invasion happened.
    China is a bully snapping up land constantly, and currently trying to take over the sea in the south.

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    Mute Nigel killeen
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    Jan 23rd 2012, 12:25 PM

    @ Michael,

    I did not go with my eyes closed, they where opened there.
    I spent alot of time in the Sichuan province and other Tibetan areas of mainland china, along with some time in Tibet itself. From speaking to locals through a guide in Tibet (who cannot speak in public as there are chinese spy’s around potala palace and other areas of Lhasa who would have him sacked) they are heavily restricted people. Many people risking there lives if caught, trekking across the land for weeks to escape to India and Nepal. Very very few of any Tibetan will get a passport. And the people who have escaped the tyranny that goes on can never return.
    Whilst I was there the chinese where celebrating The 60th anniversary of the Chinese liberating the Tibetan people, beside the large floral decoration was mounted machine guns, several gangs of armed men in groups of 6 marching, men on roof tops with assualt rifles.
    I can honestly say the Tibetan people are struggling for freedom and these monks are a desperate sign of it

    2
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