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Gardai issue warning as cache of weapons found hidden in Ballymun park

Gardaí posted a picture of an array of implements that were discovered hidden in a park in Ballymun

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Gardai have warned that it is a criminal offence to be found in possession of a knife in a public place following the discovery of a cache of weapons in North Dublin.

Gardaí posted a picture of an array of implements that were discovered hidden in a park in Ballymun.

The photo shows what appears to be a kitchen knife, a steel bicycle saddle post, a screwdriver and a Stanley blade that were found stashed in weeds in the park.

“Gardai in Ballymun were on patrol at lunchtime yesterday when they discovered these weapons hidden in park overgrowth,” the force said on X.

“They’ve been seized and our investigations are ongoing.

“It’s a criminal offence to be found in possession of a knife in a public place.”

Earlier this year, it was revealed that gardai had recovered more than 13,000 knives in the last previous seven years.

Seizures had risen by a 78 per cent over the period, the figures provided to Fine Gael TD Alan Farrell showed.

With 2,146 knives confiscated by the force in 2022 alone, this equated to nearly six every day.

That year, some 905 knives were seized in the Dublin region, up from 812 in 2021. A total of 128 knives were seized in Cork city in 2022, while there were 164 seizures in Louth as well as 105 in Galway.

Mr Farrell said 13,138 knives have been seized by gardaí in the years between 2016-2022.

“This is a staggering number and we must continue to support gardaí in their efforts to tackle these offences,” he said in April.

“There has been a steady increase in the amount of knives being seized annually by gardaí. In 2016, 1,203 knives were seized and this number rose to 2,146 last year, a staggering 78 per cent increase over the seven-year period.

“Clearly, any stabbing has the potential to cause irreparable harm and has had tragic consequences for families and individuals up and down the country.”

Any person found to be in possession of a knife can be jailed for a maximum of five years, one of the most severe penalties in Europe.

There is no set minimum age at which a person can own a knife. However, it is an offence to have a knife in a public place without a good reason, such as for work.

Any person found to be in possession of a knife can be jailed for a maximum of five years.