A man had his ear bitten off while another nearly lost an arm in a barbaric pub brawl in north Dublin.

The 47-year-old who lost the ear and the 38-year-old with the severe injury to his arm were among a number of people hospitalised.

Two others sustained severe facial injuries after a large crowd of men from two opposing traveller factions started fighting in a bar in Finglas.

Another man had a lucky escape when someone attempted to chop off his hand.

A number of garda units rushed to the scene of the fight, which kicked off at around 9.30pm on Sunday, and has led to fears that a brutal north-Dublin traveller feud will now re-ignite.

No arrests were made by officers at the pub and it is understood that investigating officers have not received any co-operation from witnesses.

The incident has led to an increase in armed garda patrols to police flash points in the locality in an attempt to prevent further bloodshed.

So far the feud has been ongoing for more than five years.

Sunday night's violence was the most serious feud-related attack since February, when a 32-year-old man had part of his scalp torn off when he was attacked with a slash-hook in a daylight attack on the Hartstown Road in Blanchardstown.

Twist

That incident took place when the Ford car in which the victim was driving was rear ended by another vehicle driven by thugs.

It happened just days after two dogs owned by close associates of the suspected attackers were shot dead on consecutive nights in Finglas.

Two Balbriggan-based suspects were arrested in relation to the Hartstown Road incident but were later released without charge.

In a strange twist, associates of these men are suspected of being involved in a bare-knuckle boxing fight in Co Meath last Sunday, which is linked to a separate Traveller feud in Co Cavan.

There has been a large number of petrol and pipe-bomb attacks as well as shots being fired at houses, with most of these incidents taking place in Finglas.

But the violence has also spread to other areas of Dublin, and even a graveyard in Co Westmeath in 2013.

Women and children have also been targeted and there have been numerous occasions when families have had to flee their homes.

The warring factions have often taken to social media to issue sickening threats against each other, including murder threats.

Online Editors