A man in his 20s was hospitalised after he was shot in the leg in Athlone, Co Westmeath on Saturday night.

Gardaí have arrested a juvenile male in relation to the incident that took place on Retreat Road just after 9.30pm.

The victim was taken to the Midland Regional Hospital at Tullamore with minor injuries and has since been released.

There has been a total of three shooting incidents to take place over the weekend. Gardaí are treating each incident as separate and unrelated.

The first shooting happened on Friday night in Dublin, when a 19-year-old man was shot in the head in a housing estate in Dublin at 11pm.

Gardaí said the teenager was found with gunshot injuries to his head in the front garden of a house at Shancastle Park, Clondalkin.

Emergency services attended the scene and the critically injured man was taken to Connolly Hospital.

A Garda spokesman said the man remained in “serious condition”.

Gardaí preserve the scene at Shancastle Park in the Clondalkin area following a shooting on Friday night. Photograph: Stephen Collins/Collins Photos

Supt John Gordan of Lucan Garda station held a briefing at the scene where the man was found. He said it was a “particularly busy area”.

“As you can see behind me here this area is the main access point to the Liffey valley area. The youth was removed from here to hospital where he remains critically injured at this time,” he said.

An incident room has been established at Lucan Garda station and the scene has been technically examined.

“We are appealing for witnesses or those with ino to come forward,” he said.

In the separate incident in Ballymun, Dublin , which happened a few hours after the first shooting, a teenager was shot in the stomach.

Gardaí said shots were fired into a house at Barnwell Drive at 2.25am on Saturday.

The injured man in his late teens was taken to Mater Misericordiae University Hospital.

Fianna Fáil councillor for Ballymun Paul McAuliffe said the latest shooting had left the community feeling threatened and saddened.

“People have been left in complete shock by the shamelessness of this late night shooting,” he said.

“Make no mistake – this was an attack that put the safety of the Ballymun community, its residents, local students and local construction workers at grave risk.

“We have heard of far too many incidents where innocent bystanders have been caught in the crossfire of such brutal attacks.

“ I would urge all those with information to get in touch to help them bring those responsible to justice,” McAuliffe said.

Anyone with information should contact Ballymun Garda station on (01) 666 1100.