A mother who was viciously assaulted on the side of a road remained in critical condition as she fought for her life over the weekend.

The victim, identified locally as Scarlett Faulkner in her twenties, was discovered by emergency responders on Saturday with severe head injuries along the R494 in Birdhill. The incident took place in Co Tipperary, near the towns of Ballina and Killaloe, positioned between Nenagh and Limerick. The area was under police cordon as reported by the Irish Mirror.

Law enforcement closed the R494 in both directions to facilitate forensic investigations at the location where Ms. Faulkner was found. It is believed that she was assaulted by one or more individuals armed with weapons, leaving her wounded on the roadside around 5:30 pm on Saturday.

Ms. Faulkner, a member of a respected Traveller family from Limerick city, was first treated by paramedics at the scene before being airlifted by a Coast Guard Rescue Helicopter to University Hospital Limerick (UHL) on Saturday evening. She underwent scans at UHL while her family anxiously awaited updates on her condition.

Following initial treatment, Ms. Faulkner was transferred from UHL to the head trauma unit at Cork University Hospital on Sunday, where she remained in serious condition. Her family shared photos of her on social media, asking for prayers for her recovery, as authorities described her condition as “critical.”

Messages of support flooded social media, with one post urging prayers for Ms. Faulkner’s recovery and another expressing deep affection for her as a beloved sister. Witnesses were urged to come forward with any information by a Garda spokeswoman, appealing to anyone who may have been on the R494 between Birdhill and the M7 motorway on the evening of the incident to provide any camera footage, including dash-cam recordings, to aid in the investigation.

The investigation is ongoing, and individuals with relevant information are encouraged to contact Nenagh Garda Station or the Garda Confidential Line.