Hero of Belfast who struck knifeman with Irish hurley stick identified as local dad

Dozens of people are chipping in to buy the ‘hero of Belfast’ who stopped a knife man from stabbing a stranger a pint.

Maitiu Mág Tighearnán has posted that he was the man who confronted the attacker in Belfast last night.

In a video too graphic to publish, a knifeman holds a bloody hand in the air as he pins the victim to the ground. The suspect aims several stabbing motions towards his face.

As others shout ‘He’s trying to cut his head off’ and keep their distance local dad Maitiu runs into danger swinging his wooden hurley stick and landing well-aimed blows to the suspect’s face.

The suspect breaks his hold and rolls over moments before police arrive at the scene in Kinnaird Avenue.

Niall Donnan, who set up the fundraiser, told Metro: ‘I could only bear to watch two or three seconds of the video.

‘I live just 30 minutes away. I just thought this guy deserves something for his bravery, so I just got on it as soon as possible.

‘I have reached out to him online, but he hasn’t got back yet. He’s obviously got thousands of messages coming through.

‘It’s all over Facebook, everywhere on my feed is just full of pictures of him praising his bravery.’

Maitiu, himself, has been replying to social media comments saying how people could choose a more flattering photo of himself.

The victim, in his 40s, suffered ‘significant injuries to his eyes and serious slash wound injuries to his back and face’, police have said.

He remains in a serious condition in hospital.

Niall added: ‘For sure, he definitely has saved his life, providing the victim’s condition doesn’t worsen.

‘He’s given the man a chance. The hurley stick is such an Irish symbol – it is amazing what he did.’

He added: ‘If we can take anything from this horrific story, we can take pride in knowing that we can look out for each other. We should look out for each other, and that’s the beautiful thing about human connection and our society.’

PSNI chief constable Sir Jon Boutcher said the suspect, understood to be Sudanese, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of attempted murder.

A kitchen knife was also found at the scene.

The suspect is believed to have entered Northern Ireland via Dublin and in February 2023 claimed asylum. It is understood the Home Office granted the man leave to remain in Northern Ireland on 28 September 2023.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, hailed the men who intervened before police arrived, saying: ‘The horrific attack in Belfast last night is sickening.

‘I have absolutely no tolerance for abhorrent scenes of violence like this on our streets.

‘My thoughts are first and foremost with the victim, and I thank the first responders, including members of the public who intervened.’

The scene outside an apartment complex off Kinnaird Avenue in the lower Antrim Road area remained cordoned off on Tuesday morning, with markers visible on the ground where the attack had taken place.

To donate to Maitie’s fundraiser click here.