‘It is really shocking’: Irish woman killed in suspected pub stabbing in New York named locally

Ms McNally was killed after allegedly being attacked inside the doors of The Ceili House pub on Grand Avenue in Maspeth, Queens, on Saturday evening at around 6.30pm.

According to US sources, New York Police responded to a 911 call at around 6.35pm in relation to an assault where they found the Longford woman with a stab wound to her neck and a man with a stab wound to his back and neck.

Both were taken to Elmhurst Hospital in critical condition by EMS with the woman later passing away from her injuries, police said.

The man’s age was not immediately known and no arrests have yet been made as police detectives continue to investigate the incident.

Ms McNally originally hailed from Longford town before emigrating to the US a number of years ago.

It is understood she has been resident in New York for much of that time and had been working in the local hospitality sector.

News of her passing back home has been met with widespread shock and dismay.

Local Cllr Seamus Butler said details surrounding the tragedy had left the local community of Longford town in a state of numbed disbelief.

"She was Longford born and she was a former pupil of Scoil Mhuire in Longford where my wife actually taught her,” he said.

"Obviously the NYPD have to do their job and find out what happened but it is really shocking. All we can do is just pray for her family hopefully her remains can be repatriated.”

They were sentiments which were shared by Longford Municipal District Cathaoirleach Cllr Martin Monaghan.

“The people of Longford will be saddened and shocked by the sudden demise of a young life, someone who has made a life for herself in New York.

“For such a young life to be so tragically ended in such violent circumstances, our thoughts and prayers go out to the people in the Queens area of New York that knew her and her mother and father in Longford as well as her extended family.”

Speaking again this morning on RTÉ Radio One’s Morning Ireland, Councillor Martin Monaghan said the death of Sarah McNally in New York has left the town of Longford in a “state of shock”.

“As family, friends and neighbours attempt to come to terms with the loss of such a young life. Sarah would have been 41 years of age and moved to New York 10 years ago,” he said.

He told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland that she would have been “an integral part of Longford life” before that, having worked in bars in the town.

“Her mother and her father would be Longford-based in a small tight-knit community here in Longford.

"The O’Connor’s and McNally’s 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 said.

He described the nature of her death following an alleged stabbing in a bar as “very cruel” adding that a tragedy abroad makes things an “awful lot worse than it would be at home with the distance”.

Cllr Monaghan offered his thoughts and prayers to Ms McNally’s parents.

“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,” Cllr Monaghan added.