TWO young students were hospitalised after a suspected homophobic attack by a group of men in Limerick City.
The CEO of Limerick-based LGBTQI+ support charity GOSHH said the victims came forward “deeply shaken” after the alleged attack.
GOSHH CEO Verena Tarpey explained that a group of 11 young people were walking on Upper William Street last Wednesday (October 29) when a group of men began to shout homophobic slurs at them. The men then proceeded to kick and punch several members of the group, Ms Tarpey said.
“We are under no illusion whatsoever that this attack is a ‘once off’ incident. As a society, we would like to believe this is the case – however this is not the reality,” the GOSHH chief said.
“Homophobic harassment and violence against members of the LGBTQI+ community is a crime, but still remains largely under reported. GOSHH utterly condemns this attack.”
Gardaí told the Limerick Post that “investigations are ongoing” into an incident of assault “that is alleged to have occurred in the Upper William Street area of Limerick City on Wednesday 29th of October, 2025, at approximately 11.30pm”.
A Garda spokeswoman said that “a woman in her 20s suffered non-life-threatening injuries” during the attack.
In a post on social media, organisers of Limerick Pride, a week-long annual event celebrating the LGBTQI+ community on Shannonside, also condemned the attack.
“There is an increasing rise in the number of homophobic attacks taking place recently,” the organisation said. “Limerick Pride has been in contact with the victim, who needed hospital assistance.”
Limerick Pride said it also liaised with An Garda Síochána to address the rise in alleged homophobic attacks.
It is understood the victims of the attack were third level students.
“Attacks like this are an attack on our community and Ireland’s values of inclusion and respect. We have seen an increase in Ireland on attacks to our community and call on more action to take place to send out a strong clear message that this behaviour has no place in Ireland,” Limerick Pride said.
Ireland has specific legislation for hate crime since 2024 with the Criminal Justice (Hates Offences) Act 2024, which came into force at the end of last year.
The legislation provides for increased prison sentences for crimes motivated by hostility, such as assault or criminal damage.
A hate crime is defined as any criminal offence motivated by hostility based on actual or perceived age, disability, race, colour, nationality, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or gender.
This is the second attack believed to have been motivated by sexual orientaton or gender in recent weeks, after two drag queens were assaulted in Cork City during the October Bank Holiday weekend.
Drag acts Krystal Queer and Lucina Schynning were the victims of an unprovoked attack while filming a video on Oliver Plunkett Street in Cork when a number of men attacked them.
“We must unite to stop hate in all forms,” Ms Tarpey added, “which is becoming more commonplace and represents an attack on our community as whole. Whether this occurs on the street, online, or in our own homes, we must call out behaviour that impacts us all and has no place in an inclusive and equal society in Ireland.”