HEARTBREAKING tributes have poured in for a “sweet and innocent” Irish woman who was killed in a New York City bar over the weekend.
Longford native Sarah McNally had been living in New York for around 10 years and had been working in the local hospitality sector.
She was killed in an alleged knife attack at The Ceili House pub on Grand Avenue in Maspeth, Queens at around 6:30pm on Saturday evening.
Emergency services were alerted to the incident by a 911 call and raced to scene where they found Ms McNally with a stab wound to her neck.
A man, aged in his 40s, was also found with stab wounds.
Both McNally and the man were rushed to Elmhurst Hospital while in a “critical condition”, but the Irish woman was later pronounced dead by doctors.
A police spokesperson confirmed: “The investigation remains ongoing.”
Heartbreaking tributes have poured in for the 41-year-old woman as news of the shocking tragedy continues to spread.
Sarah’s aunt Mary McNally told how their family has been left “heartbroken” by the absolute tragedy.
Taking to social media, she said: “Rest in peace my beautiful niece Sarah, we are heartbroken, love you always.”
Sarah’s other aunt Margaret Gaffey added: “My beautiful niece taken too soon. [Love] you.”
Another remembered Sarah as a “lovely soul” whilst a fourth told how she was a “beautiful, bubbly girl”.
Speaking to the New York Post, a man who lived near the bar where the alleged attack took place, remembered Sarah as a “sweet, innocent girl”.
Longford Municipal District Cathaoirleach Cllr Martin Monaghan told RTE’s Morning Ireland that the community in Longford town has been “left in a state of shock” following the death of the “well-known” local woman.
He said: “She would’ve been an integral part of Longford life [before moving to New York] having worked in bars in Longford.”
He added: “It’s very cruel. People struggle to say the right words at this time and there’s little anyone can say to make things better for Sarah’s parents.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with them at this time and a tragedy away from home makes things an awful lot worse.”
Tributes and pictures of tragic Sarah with her friends have been added to a growing memorial outside the Irish pub.
The stabbing is the second such incident in the Queens area involving an Irish woman in recent times.
In October of last year, Denise Morgan, 39, originally from Co Louth, was killed by her ex-partner after being shot in her home in Queens