A teenage couple narrowly escaped injury when a lone gunman approached them and fired a number of shots on Friday night.

The gunman, who was partially obscured with a hooded top, discharged three rounds from a firearm and then made his escape on foot in an unknown direction.

The couple were walking on St Berach’s Place, Kilbarrack, at about 10.30pm when the shooting took place.

At least one of the rounds went through a bedroom window of a house in the nearby Swan’s Nest Avenue. Nobody in the premises was hurt.

Gardaí are understood to have conducted a search of the nearby train line in case the weapon was discarded.

No motive for the shooting has been established.

Local Sinn Féin councillor Mícheál Mac Donncha said: “It’s a very frightening incident. It could easily have caused serious injury or worse.

“People in the area are very concerned and anyone with information should assist the gardaí.”

Previous cases

Previous cases where shots have been fired at houses have led to serious injury and death.

Earlier this month, Ciara Sheehan (21) was in her sitting room in the Hollywood Estate in Hollyhill on the north side of Cork in the early hours of the morning when a bullet came through a downstairs window.

She sustained a serious wound to her neck but managed to raise the alarm and was rushed to Cork University Hospital, where she underwent surgery.

In 2006, mother of one Donna Cleary was killed by a stray bullet fired indiscriminately at a house in Coolock, Dublin, in which a 40th birthday party was underway.

The 22-year-old died from shock and haemorrhage from a wound to the chest after a gunman, who was earlier refused entry to the party, shot at the house.

Gardaí have called for witnesses to the latest incident to contact Raheny Garda station at 01-6664300 or the Garda Confidential Line on 1800-666111.