Five people were injured in the attack – two of them seriously
20:00, 01 Jan 2026Updated 20:04, 01 Jan 2026
The house was gutted in the attack.
The thug behind the New Year’s Eve horror arson attack got the wrong house because he did not know the area he was targeting, investigators now believe.
A day after the attack on the house in Finglas, north Dublin that left two people seriously ill, sources have told us that gardai now believe the attack was organised from another part of the city.
They suspect the attacker was sent to target a house by gangsters connected to criminals in Drogheda, Co Louth – but he was so unfamiliar with the area that he got the wrong house.
Sources tell us one line of inquiry is that the petrol bomber who attacked the property at Creston Avenue in the early hours of Wednesday morning is a criminal from the Ballymun area of Dublin.
“He did not know the geography of the area at all and got the wrong house,” a source explained.
Screengrab from viral video showing a house ablaze after an arson attack in Finglas, Dublin. 
The scene of the arson attack at Creston Avenue, Finglas, Dublin.
PIC: Conor Ó Mearáin / Collins Photo Agency
Five people – three teenagers and two women – suffered injuries in the attack in which the house was gutted and were all taken to hospital after emergency services rushed to the scene at around 12.40am. Four of the people managed to escape through a window, but firefighters using breathing apparatus had to rescue one of the victims from the house.
One of the teenagers and a woman were seriously injured and were still being treated in hospital on New Year’s Day.
It’s understood there are serious concerns for the woman, who is in her 40s.
She is seriously ill in James Connolly Memorial Hospital in Blanchardstown. The teenager is believed to be being treated at Temple Street Hospital for children in central Dublin.
Gardai are mounting a major probe into the attack.
Sign up to our new Crime Ireland newsletter and get exclusive content from Michael O’Toole and Paul Healy
The Irish Mirror’s Crime Writers Michael O’Toole and Paul Healy are writing a new weekly newsletter called Crime Ireland. Click here to sign up and get it delivered to your inbox every week
Sources tell us they believe the attack was a case of mistaken identity and that a man who lives in the general area and has links to the Maguire gang in Drogheda was the intended target.
The Maguire gang has been involved in a bloody feud with the rival Boylan outfit, a war which has left four people dead.
Investigators are sceptical that the Boylan mob would have been involved in the Finglas attack – and suspect it may be linked to another, more minor, dispute connected to elements of the Maguire gang.
We have also learned that gardai are investigating if the attack is linked to the attempted ramming of a man in Finglas in recent weeks. He was not seriously injured. And sources say there may also be a link to an incident in Co Meath earlier this year when a man was chased through a street and had to seek shelter in a garda station.
The targeted house was still sealed off on Thursday as gardai continue to investigate the attack.
Officers have appealed for any witnesses to come forward.
A Garda statement said: “Any persons who may have video footage from the area between those times (including CCTV and dash cam) are asked to make this footage available to investigating Gardaí.
“Anyone with any information is asked to contact Finglas Garda Station on 01 666 7500, the Garda confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda Station.”
Garda at the scene in Finglas.(Image: Brian Lawless/PA Wire)
Video footage from the scene at Creston Avenue shows thick smoke billowing from the house as emergency services rushed to respond, while shocked local residents gathered nearby watching events unfold.
Gardaí, along with Dublin Fire Brigade and ambulance services, attended the incident as firefighters worked to bring the blaze under control and ensure the safety of those inside the property.
Dublin Fire Brigade (DFB) said it was called at 12.40am to reports of a well-developed fire at a house off Creston Avenue in Finglas. A number of occupants had managed to escape before firefighters arrived.
Six fire engines were dispatched to the scene, including a turntable ladder and a foam tender.
Firefighters from Finglas, Phibsborough, Blanchardstown and Tara Street stations attended, with more than 25 firefighters involved in tackling the blaze.
DFB confirmed that one person was rescued from the property by firefighters wearing breathing apparatus and was treated initially at the scene by firefighters and advanced paramedics.
Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here.