TWO DUBLIN CYCLISTS have spoken about being attacked by teenagers with metal bars in separate attacks along the Grand Canal cycle path near the Bluebell are of Inchicore in Dublin.

Yaman Umuroğlu and Liam Molloy both shared images of their helmets after the attacks and have also spoken to Joe Duffy on RTÉ’s Liveline.

Umuroğlu shared an image of his helmet after the attack last night and said that he was “ambushed” by the group and left with injuries. His e-bike was also stolen.

I was almost killed by a gang of lads armed with metal rods on the Grand Canal cycle path, ambushed at a squeeze stile. They made off with my e-bike but not before beating me up. See dents on helmet below. @GrandCnlGrenway @IBIKEDublin @dublincycling @DubCityCouncil @IWAIreland pic.twitter.com/nvmYyDe4fT — Yaman Umuroğlu (@maltanar) December 9, 2019 Source: Yaman Umuroğlu /Twitter

He says he contacted gardaí and an ambulance but after waiting for 45 minutes other cyclists helped put him in a taxi to St. James’ Hospital.

The attack happened along the cycle route approaching the Blackhorse Luas stop and Umuroğlu says he was set upon when he slowed to approach a squeeze stile that requires cyclists to dismount.

Another cyclist Liam Molloy said the “exact same events” happened to him at the same spot when he was similarly ambushed on Saturday.

Both men spoke to Liveline this afternoon.

“I was doing my regular commute from Citywest to Kilmainham along the Grand Canal cycle path in Dublin. And approached one of these squeeze stiles that were supposedly put in place back in the day to stop dirt bikes coming in or whatever,” Umuroğlu said.

So there was four or five 13 or 14-year-old teenagers waiting for me there with metal rods. And first I thought they weren’t going to give me any trouble because I’ve seen kids like that hanging around there before. So I just approached them thinking that they would just go away, but then they started beating with metal sticks and wanted my bike. They got my bike in the end and I hobbled on the Blackhorse Luas stop while calling the gardaí.

The cyclist says he was beaten “all over” until he let go of his bike

“My arms, my legs, most importantly my head but I had a bike helmet on, thankfully. So the helmet is in pretty bad shape but my head is okay.

“So I sat there waiting and other cyclists started stopping and asking me if I needed help and offered me wateror something warm. It was super nice of them, but eventually I realised I couldn’t stand anymore because my right leg was swelling up,” he added.

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Molloy also detailed a similar incident that happened to him on Saturday.

“A group of six or seven men stopped me, when I say men, I mean teenagers they were about 14 years old. And they had metal bars, so they stopped me got me off the bike. And they were hitting me with the metal bars and with a few punches,” he told Liveline.

They were really trying to hurt men. And one of the hits actually got very, very low on my helmet. If it had been a matter of centimetres lower it could have reached my actual skull. So I was very, very lucky.

@maltanar I'm reaching out as the exact same events happened to me as I cycled home from work on Saturday evening. They ambushed me using a line of fire and surrounded me just before the Black Horse luas stop.They hit me with iron bars before I was rescued by a kind stranger 1/2 pic.twitter.com/qaDid3xxLC — Liam Molloy (@MrAuPif) December 10, 2019 Source: Liam Molloy /Twitter

In a statement, gardaí have said they have received several reports of assaults in the area including one that happened yesterday evening at 7.45pm.

“As part of Operation ‘Open City’, which is currently ongoing, and in response to a number of recent incidents of anti-social behaviour and criminal behaviour visibility of An Garda Síochána will be increased across Dublin including the Canal/Bluebell area,” gardaí said in a statement.

“An Garda Síochána encourages anyone who feels they have been a victim of a crime to contact their local Garda Station or the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111.”