A GoFundMe page set up by paramedics who attended to two elderly siblings after a horror attack in their Cork home has raised over €30,000.
84-year-old Mary O'Halloran and her 79-year-old brother Gerry were subjected to an hour of trauma by a knife-wielding burglar at Gerry's home in Gurranabraher on Sunday.
Mary spoke of how they were forced to hand over €1,800 in cash by the masked man.
"We couldn't do anything else but to give it because he was going to stab us," she said. "I'm not feeling too bad today but trying to get over it. Gerry is still in hospital. He was not hurt but is shaken so they kept him in and I went home as I am looking after my sister as well."
Mary arrived at Gerry's home yesterday just after the burglar had entered the house. Gerry warned her to leave but she was forced into the home by the intruder.
During the ordeal, both Mary and Gerry had a knife held to their throats.
Mary described her brother as being "shaken" in hospital.
"He's afraid inside in the hospital," she said. "I was talking to him on the phone. The girl let me talk to him because you are not let into the ward and he was still shaken he told me."
Mary and Gerry were attended to by paramedics Keith Harrington and Sean Healy, who set up the GoFundMe page.
"They are an elderly brother and sister and have been deeply traumatised by their experience," said Harrington. "They were held at knifepoint in their home for over an hour. They are now being treated in the Mercy hospital. It would be great if we could alleviate their financial worries at least."
Gardaí have appealed for anyone with information to contact Gurranabraher Garda Station on 021-4946200, or any garda station.