GARDAÍ are looking to question a number of men and women in connection with a savage attack on a young mother near the Limerick-Tipperary border last Saturday.
Scarlet Faulkner, 20s, from Limerick City, suffered critical head injuries when she was attacked at a roadside located outside Birdhill village at around 5.30pm on Saturday last.
The mother of one remains gravely ill at Cork University Hospital, where she was taken after being initially airlifted from the scene by a Coast Guard rescue helicopter to University Hospital Limerick.
Video footage shared across social media of the attack shows a man brandishing what appears to be a hatchet next to a second woman, as two men approach them, one armed with what appeared to be a sword, as a second female flees from the scene on foot.
The footage, recorded from inside a passing vehicle, showed another female using a mobile phone to record a fourth female who appeared to be repeatedly striking another person on the ground, believed to be Ms Faulkner, with a long implement.
The savage scenes that played out on the R494 last Saturday afternoon have been roundly condemned.
Limerick Fianna Fáil TD and Minister of State at the Justice Department, Niall Collins, said the entire country has been shocked by the vicious nature of the attack.
“It’s truly concerning and people are asking the question, what happened here?” Deputy Collins told RTÉ News.
“How could such a brutal incident happen on a public road in the middle of the day?”
Minister Collins called the incident “truly shocking” and appealed “to anybody who has information to please contact the Gardaí”.
Members of Ms Faulkner’s family asked, on social media posts, for people to pray for her survival and recovery.
Gardaí said they continue to investigate the serious assault on Ms Faulkner, which occurred on the R494 at Birdhill.
The Garda investigation team is specifically interested in hearing from people with information on or who may have seen two vehicles 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 spokesperson.
Gardaí were also anxious to receive video footage from any road users who were travelling in the vicinity of the assault last Saturday.
“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,” Gardaí added.
Anyone with any information is asked to contact Nenagh Garda Station on 067 50 450, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda station.