Gardaí are looking to question a number of men and women in connection with an assault in Co Tipperary that left a young woman in a critical condition in hospital.
Scarlett Faulkner, a mother of one in her 20s, suffered serious head injuries when she was attacked at a roadside outside Birdhill village at about 5.30pm on Saturday.
She remains critically ill at Cork University Hospital, having been airlifted from the scene to University Hospital Limerick before being transferred.
Video footage shared across social media of the attack shows a number of men and women armed with what appear to be a hatchet and a sword attacking two women, including Faulkner, who is a member of a family from the Traveller community from Limerick city.
Limerick Fianna Fáil TD Niall Collins said the entire country was shocked by the vicious nature of the attack.
“It’s truly concerning and people are asking the question, what happened here,” Collins told RTÉ News. “How could such a brutal incident happen on a public road in the middle of the day?”
Collins called the incident “truly shocking” and appealed “to anybody who has information to please contact the gardaí”.
Members of Faulkner’s family have posted on social media asking for prayers that she recovers.
Gardaí closed off the R494 road at Birdhill and conducted a forensic examination of the scene on Sunday.
Officers were working on several theories as to the background of the assault, including that the woman may have been travelling in a car that was rammed by a group in another vehicle and dragged from the vehicle and attacked at the side of the road.
Gardaí closed off the R494 roadway at Birdhill and conducted a forensic examination of the scene
Gardaí said they were continuing to investigate the assault on Faulkner.
The investigation team is specifically interested in hearing from anyone who saw or has information about two vehicles that gardaí believe were used by those involved in the assault.
“In particular, gardaí are seeking information on the movements of two vehicles, a grey 162 Ford Transit van and a blue 161 Volkswagen Touran people carrier, travelling in convoy or driving dangerously between 4.30pm and 5.30pm on Saturday 21st March 2026 in and around Birdhill village, the townlands of Cooleen, Crag Cross, Shower Cross, Kylebeg, Annaholty and Thornhill, all in Co Tipperary,” said a Garda spokeswoman.
“Gardaí are aware of video footage of the incident circulating online and ask members of the public not to share it on social media platforms or messaging apps, but instead to provide it to investigating gardaí,” the statement added.
Anyone with any information is asked to contact Nenagh Garda station on (067) 50450, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda station.