Longford 'shocked' as Irish woman who died after New York stabbing named locally
Sarah McNally, whose identity was confirmed by the NYPD, hailed from Longford Town but had been living in New York for about 10 years. Picture: Mary McNally/Facebook
A Longford woman who died after being stabbed at an Irish bar in Queens, New York, on Saturday has been named as 41-year-old Sarah McNally.
Ms McNally, whose identity was confirmed by the NYPD, hailed from Longford Town but had been living in New York for about 10 years.
She was assaulted by a 40-year-old man at the Ceili House Bar — where it is believed she worked — in Maspeth on Saturday evening at 6.35pm.
Ms McNally was stabbed in the neck, while the man received wounds to his back and neck.
Though emergency services attended a 911 call at the scene and brought both Ms McNally and the man to the nearby Elmhurst Hospital, she was pronounced dead on arrival.
The man remains in critical condition, the NYPD said, adding the investigation remains ongoing.
In a statement, the Deputy Commissioner of Public Information (DCPI) told the : “On Saturday, March 30, 2024, at approximately 18.34 hours, police responded to a 911 call for an assault in progress at 69-56 Grand Avenue within the confines of the 104 Precinct.
“Upon arrival, police observed a 41-year-old female with a stab wound to the neck and an unidentified male with a stab wound to the back and neck. EMS responded and transported both aided individuals to NYC Health and Hospitals/Elmhurst in critical condition.
“The 41-year-old female was subsequently pronounced deceased by hospital staff. The investigation remains ongoing”.
The Department of Foreign Affairs said it is aware of the case and stands ready to provide consular assistance.
Locals in Longford spoke highly of Ms McNally, with one source commenting she had been “very, very popular” and her family “very decent people”.
“She was very quiet, but she loved life. She went over there for an adventure and ended up making her life there. She was an only child, the family is totally devastated, I don’t know how her mammy will cope,” they said.
Chair of the local district council Martin Monaghan said the news was a “poignant time for us in Longford”.
“She had made a life for herself over there, I hope the Longford community in New York will stand up and look after the arrangements for her on the other side,” Mr Monaghan said.
On Monday, Mr Monaghan said the news of Ms McNally’s death had “left the town of Longford in a state of shock”.
Mr Monaghan said the 41-year-old was “an integral part of Longford life” before she moved to New York, having worked in bars around the area.
He described Ms McNally's family as “really, really decent Longford people" within the close-knit community.
“People struggle to say the right words at this time and there's little anyone can say that will make things better for Sarah’s parents," he told RTÉ's .
“Our thoughts and prayers are with them at this time. A tragedy away from home makes things an awful lot worse.”Â
This is the second Irish woman to have suffered a violent death in New York in the past six months.
Denise Morgan. Picture: The Cottage Bar Restaurant/Facebook
The mother of one had just arrived home from work when her ex-boyfriend Joed Abel Taveras, 33, a former US soldier, began arguing with her before shooting her and ending his own life.
Ms Morgan, from Tullyallen, Co Louth, had recently ended her relationship with Taveras and secured a lease on a new apartment which she was due to move into on November 1.
Her family told the  she had only just begun to confide in them about how Taveras was checking her phone, monitoring her movements, and isolating her from her friends.
“We knew she was struggling — we are a very close family, but she hid a lot of it for a long time. Most of us, including me, only found out recently how jealous he was” her mother Deirdre said at the time.
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