Irish bar worker, 41, ‘knifed to death by boyfriend’ in NY pub rampage as tributes paid to ‘sweet, innocent’ victim
AN Irish bar worker was stabbed to death by her boyfriend in front of stunned punters, police sources said.
Longford native Sarah McNally, 41, died following the horror incident at The Céilí House pub on Grand Avenue in Maspeth in Queens, New York, at the weekend.
A man reported to be her partner of several months also suffered stab wounds, according to shocked eyewitnesses.
Sarah’s aunt Mary McNally said: “Rest in peace my beautiful niece Sarah, we are heartbroken, love you always.”
One patron at the New York boozer said: “She was just standing there talking. Her attacker came in… and he just walked right in and stabbed her.
“Then he started trying to stab himself. Horrible. Just horrible!”
The shocking incident happened at around 6.30pm on Saturday.
Sarah — remembered as a “sweet and innocent” Irish woman — had been living in the Big Apple for around ten years.
Emergency services were alerted by a 911 call and raced to the scene.
They discovered Sarah with a stab wound to her neck.
Her attacker, aged in his 40s, reportedly had a blade in each hand and was bleeding from his self-inflicted knife wounds to the back and his neck.
Sources told the New York Post that the man was Tasered by cops after he refused orders to drop the knives.
Sources said it was her boyfriend, who she had been seeing for a number of months.
Both Sarah and her attacker were rushed to Elmhurst Hospital in a “critical condition”.
Hospital rush
The Irish woman was later pronounced dead by doctors.
And the man, who has not been named, tonight remains in a serious condition in hospital.
No arrests have been made so far.
And a spokesperson for the NYPD confirmed: “The investigation remains ongoing.”
Family devastated
Emotional tributes have been paid to Sarah as news of the shocking tragedy continue to spread.
Her aunt, Mary McNally, told how their family has been devastated by the killing.
She posted online: “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.”
‘Lovely soul’
Another grieving pal remembered Sarah as a “lovely soul” whilst a fourth friend told how she was a “beautiful, bubbly girl”.
And speaking to The New York Post, a man who lived near the bar where the attack took place, remembered Sarah as a “sweet, innocent girl”.
Mike Lambe, 62, said she had been working at The Ceilo House for less than a year, crying: “She was an innocent.”
Mike Green, 51, who often visited the pub, said he was stunned by the attack.
‘She helps people’
He told The New York Daily News: “I can’t even picture it. I know them, and I still can’t believe it. Sarah is good people. She helps people. Everybody owes her money.”
And Mike said Sarah — known to pals as ‘M’ — often hung out at the bar with her partner.
He added: “They was always together. M is cool. Both of them. That’s why it blew my mind a little bit.”
Longford Municipal District Cathaoirleach Martin Monaghan told RTE how the area has been “left in a state of shock” following the death of the “well-known” local woman.
‘Integral’
The Fianna Fail councillor said: “She would’ve been an integral part of Longford life [before moving to New York] having worked in bars in Longford.
“Her mother and her father would be Longford-based in a small tight-knit community here in Longford. The O’Connors and McNallys would be really decent Longford people. It comes as a huge shock to the family to get this news over a Bank Holiday weekend.”
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.
‘Difficult time’
“I have no doubt that the vast Longford community in New York and we have a huge community in the area will do their utmost to support the family at this difficult time.”
Tributes and pics of Sarah with her friends have been added to a growing memorial outside the pub where she was killed.
A number of local residents and Céilí House customers were also in shock at her brutal death.
Maspeth resident James O’Malley discovered Sarah had died after visiting the boozer on Sunday.
‘Can’t believe it’
He told CBS: “I saw her Wednesday night and, wow, can’t believe it.”
He described Sarah as a “very friendly person” who always made time for a chat.
Local Carlos Rodriguez described Sarah as “down to earth” and the “life of the party”.
And Alyssa Rossellim, who lived nearby, said it was such sad news.
‘So many cops’
She said: “There were so many cops. Cop after cop here.
“I didn’t know her, of course, but I felt very sad all these women have to deal with domestic violence.”
And Maspeth resident Peter Cappelli declared: “We’re just shocked by the news Sarah is no longer with us. She was a staple of the bar and of Maspeth.
“We’d always see her. I send all my condolences and our love to her family and everyone who is gonna miss her. She was the best.”
The Department of Foreign Affairs said it is “aware of the case and stands ready to provide consular assistance”.
Sarah is the second Irish woman killed by their partner in the Queens area in recent months.
In October 2023, Denise Morgan, a 39-year-old restaurant worker from Tullyallen, Co Louth, was shot dead by her former partner.
Her body was found alongside that of ex Joed Taveras, 33.