A funeral was held today for a former music teacher who, according to Gardaí, was seriously assaulted just hours before her death.
ouise Muckell (1950s), of Rathkeale, Co Limerick, was commemorated by her loving family at a funeral mass at St Mary’s Church, in the western city of Co Limerick.
A large crowd paid tribute to the talented singer and pianist who was trained by the late Dublin soprano and opera star Veronica Dunne.
Floral tributes from family members, including a wreath that read “aunt,” accompanied her coffin as it was wheeled out of the church by a black hearse to an undisclosed location for a private funeral.
The masses heard that Mrs. Muckell is survived by her bereaved family, which includes her sister, brothers, cousins and sisters-in-law.
Relatives had requested that any donations from mourners be made to the Animal Rescue Share “because of her love of animals”.
Gardaí appealed for information after Ms Muckell was found with “serious injuries” at her home on the Cois Deel estate, Rathkeale, about 8.30pm on Tuesday, July 19, and she died at University Hospital Limerick on July 20.
A postmortem on the body was performed by state pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster, but Gardaí has not released the results of the autopsy.
Gardaí said they were responding to an incident “which occurred earlier in the evening of Tuesday, July 19 in the Windmill Street area of Limerick” and that their “investigation indicates that in the day or days prior to her discovery with serious injuries on July 19, 2022”.
Ms. Muckell previously taught music at the former high school of the Sisters of Mercy Convent in Rathkeale and led a local youth choir in Community Games competitions.
Gardaí suspects that persons known to Ms. Muckell have vital information about her latest movements.
Investigators suspect she was driven 30 km from her home in Rathkeale to Limerick city, where she was attacked in the Windmill Street area before being returned to her home with serious injuries.
Gardaí is also examining hours of video feed from CCTV cameras in the town of Rathkeale and Limerick to try to chart Ms Muckell’s latest movements and see if she was in the company of others at these critical times.
Gardaí has said they would like to speak in particular to any individuals “who found their attention in the Windmill Street area of Limerick City or the Cois Sub area of Rathkeale between Sunday 17 July 2022 and Tuesday 19 July 2022”.
Gardaí has also asked that people with “camera images (including dash-cam and CCTV) from both areas between these dates, to make these images available”.