A massive clean up and investigation is ongoing in Dublin’s city centre following the stabbing and resultant violence and looting that took place yesterday.

Irish police have arrested 34 people after the “huge destruction”. Violence flared after three children and a school care assistant were injured in a knife attack in the city centre around 5pm.

Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Leo Varadkar said about 500 people were involved in the riots.

He said they “brought shame” on Ireland and promised new laws within weeks to bring those involved to justice.

Rioters destroyed 11 police vehicles while 13 shops were badly damaged, and more were looted during the clashes with police.

Three buses and a tram were also destroyed, and several police officers were injured during over three hours of sustained rioting.

Earlier today, Ireland’s police chief Drew Harris said there had been an “element of radicalisation” to the riot.

The “extraordinary outbreak of violence” had come after “hateful assumptions” were made based on material circulating online in the wake of the stabbings, he added.

It is understood that included false claims that the attacker was a foreign national.

Sources however, indicated that the man suspected of carrying out the attack is an Irish citizen.