Family of woman savagely attacked ask for prayers as she fights for life

David Raleigh

A young mother who was the victim of a savage beating on a roadside in Co Tipperary on Saturday continued to fight for her life on Sunday.

The victim, named locally as Scarlett Faulkner, 20s, was found by emergency services with catastrophic head injuries on the side of the R494 at Birdhill.

The scene where Faulkner was found seriously injured, a short distance from the lakeside towns of Ballina and Killaloe, located between Nenagh and Limerick, remained cordoned off by gardaí on Sunday.

The R494 roadway was closed in both directions to allow Garda forensic investigators to conduct a technical examination at the scene.

Faulkner is believed to have been attacked by one or a number of people who were armed with weapons, and left for dead at the side of the road at around 5.30pm on Saturday.

Faulkner is a respected member of a Traveller family from Limerick City.

Gardaí were working on several theories as to the background of the assault, including that Faulkner may have been travelling in a car that was rammed by a group in another vehicle, dragged from her car, and attacked with implements at the side of the roadway.

Faulkner was initially attended to by HSE paramedics at the scene and then airlifted by a Coast Guard Rescue Helicopter to University Hospital Limerick (UHL) on Saturday evening.

Doctors continued to monitor her at UHL as she underwent scans, and her family maintained a vigil.

On Sunday, paramedics transferred Faulkner from UHL to Cork University Hospital head trauma unit where her condition remained serious.

Family members posted photographs of Faulkner on social media and asked that people pray that she would recover from her injuries, which gardaí described as “critical”.

“Come on sister please you can do this. Everyone please (say a) prayer for my sister Scarlett. Love you sister,” said a Facebook post.

Another wrote in a heartfelt tribute: “I love you with all my heart ❤️, you will always be my best friend big sister ❤️. My heart is shattered in 1 million pieces 💔.”

“God please don't do this to us 💔,” they stated.

“Last time I saw you was only few nights ago you came to my trailer and when you were leaving 💔 I said scarlett I love you please mind yourself and you hugged me and kissed me in the jaw you said stop worrying ill be back ❤️.”

Another posted: “Could everyone please say a prayer for my cousin Scarlett Faulkner that she makes a full recovery amen 🙏.”

And, another post read: “Plz god beautiful mother Teresa and saint pio and saint Anthony this girl Scarlett Faulkner will be ok 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏.”

Appealing for witnesses, a Garda spokeswoman said: “Any road users who were on the R494 between Birdhill and the M7 motorway between 5pm and 6pm on Saturday, 21st March 2026 and may have camera footage (including dash-cam) are asked to make this footage available to investigating Gardaí.”

“Investigations are ongoing,” she 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.