Limerick used to have the dubious label of "stab city" due to the number of knife attacks in the city's environs.
Dublin is now probably the main contender for the title although it has now become a feature of virtually every city and town across the State.
In the capital two fatal stabbings over the bank holiday weekend bring to 53 the number of people who died violently this year, 21 of them from stabbings.
Another man was stabbed and seriously injured in an incident in Carlow early on Sunday morning.
Last Monday a 39-year-old man was critically injured in a stabbing incident in Castlebar, Co Mayo.
On September 19th a consultant was stabbed and critically injured with a five-inch knife by an outpatient he was treating at St Patrick's hospital in Dublin.
A week earlier a 26-year-old was fatally stabbed outside a house party in Ballymun, Dublin. The list of such incidents, fatal and "not life threatening" is endless.
According to Fine Gael's justice spokesman Jim O'Keeffe stabbings are "now the regular weekend diet".
"The feeling I have is that in the past rows and feuds were settled with fists and knock outs, but now guns and knives have become the standard."
He added that "it's not even gangs who are involved but individuals who are sorting their rows with guns and knives".
The Fine Gael TD believes that to prevent such attacks Garda numbers need to be increased. He has also called for tougher sentences for offenders.
Those using guns and knives need to be told that "if they don't put away their weapons they'll be put away themselves". He was "convinced" the Garda did not have enough resources.
A Department of Justice spokeswoman however, rejected his claims about resources. "Record resources are available to the gardaí," she said.
Among the resources to be provided, and an indication of the growing number of knifing incidents, are "anti-stab" vests.
These are expected to be provided to gardaí after pilot tests.
According to Supt Thady Muldoon who is leading the murder investigation into the stabbing of Christy Cawley on Sunday, such incidents "wouldn't be the norm. Unfortunately guns are". He said knives "are easily got and much more easily concealed than a gun" and this may be contributing to the increase in stabbings.
