A SOCIAL DEMOCRATS councillor has recounted how she was struck in the face by an unknown man while walking in Dublin city on her way to canvass.

Speaking on RTÉ’s Drivetime, Cat O’Driscoll, a councillor for Cabra/Glasnevin, said the man “strolled away” after the random attack, which occurred just before 6pm.

“I was simply walking along the street listening to a podcast on my headphones,” she said, describing how a man then walked towards her and struck her.

The attack happened around two weeks ago. 

O’Driscoll said she “felt an incredible force” into the side of her temple which caused her glasses and headphones to fall off.

“I did manage not to fall over but the force was significant. He just kept walking, I don’t even think he broke his stride,” she said.

He strolled away, he didn’t even run away.

She said that the attack left her “very startled in the middle of the street” and caught her by surprise.

A woman passing in a car pulled down the window and asked O’Driscoll if she was okay and told her to call the gardaí – but she said nobody else came to her aid.

“I would hope anytime someone finds themselves in any sort of difficulty that they could rely on people around to offer them assistance, I hope that’s still the way Dublin is”, she added.

She said she reported the incident to the Gardaí who she described as “very helpful”.

Impact

Although her head was sore after the attack, the councillor said she went on with her day and did not realise there was a lump until the following day.

“I was so busy I got on with my day. It took me a few days to really recognise the impact on me,” she said.

O’Driscoll added that she was reluctant to wear her headphones after the attack, and had to remind herself it’s okay to do so.

She said it heightened her feelings of vigilance when out in public – something she said many women and vulnerable groups live with.

O’Driscoll, who is a women’s safety campaigner, said that to improve safety for women there needs to be more conversation on gender-based violence.

She encouraged her male colleagues to lead a “conversation on why violence is happening so prevalently”.

She said as a councillor she is also looking at how infrastructure such as street lighting could improve safety.