Irish police are investigating whether the stabbing of a chaplain at an army barracks in the western city of Galway late on Thursday had a terrorism motive, police said on Friday.
The victim in his 50s received a number of stab wounds and was taken to hospital for treatment on serious but not life-threatening injuries, police said.
A male teen was restrained by members of the defence forces and arrested at the scene.
"One line of enquiry is to establish if this attack had a terrorism motivation," police said in a statement.
"An Garda Siochana (police) wishes to reassure the public that at this time it is not believed this incident is part of a wider conspiracy."