The death of a 23-year-old woman in a dog attack in Co Limerick has shocked the local community.
Emergency services were called to a house in Ballyneety at around 11.40pm on Tuesday.
The woman has been named locally as Nicole O’Donnell Morey, who was originally from Limerick City. She had celebrated her birthday hours before the incident.
She was pronounced deceased at the scene by medical personnel.
Her body was removed from the scene to University Hospital Limerick, where an autopsy will take place.
Some seven to eight gardaí and the armed support unit responding to the incident encountered “a number of aggressive dogs”.
At least one of the dogs that attacked Ms O’Donnell Morey is understood to have been a XL Bully, a breed recently banned in the UK after they were involved in approximately half of fatal dog attacks between 2021 and 2023.
Four dogs were at the property but two were chiefly involved in the attack, a source close to the incident said.
A source described the scene as “carnage” and “grim”.
“It’s a tragedy.
When some of these dogs attack they’re bad. The only way to stop them is to kill them.
There was no real explanation why the dogs attacked her, a source said.
XL Bullys are a particularly large and muscular bulldog. They are a bigger version of the American Bully and can be a mix of pit bulls and other bulldogs.
They have unusually powerful jaws capable of killing a human and once they grip, they tend not to let go. As a crossbreed, they are not recognised as a specific breed.
They were banned in England and Wales late last year due to the "disproportionate" amount of deaths they were involved in.
Restrictions on the dogs were also introduced in Scotland and are to be introduced in the North.
Justice Minister Helen McEntee said she believes there should be an outright ban in Ireland on certain dog breeds which are known to be potentially vicious.
Ms Morey died unexpectedly on her 23rd Birthday, a tribute to her on RIP.ie said “Recently pre-deceased by her grandparents Patrick O’Donnell (Senior) and Marie Morey.
“Very deeply regretted by her mother Lisa, father Patrick, stepparents Joseph and Nicola, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, grandparents Gerry Morey and Teresa O’Donnell, cousins, other relatives and her many friends.”
An investigation into the incident is ongoing and gardaí are appealing for information.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Roxboro Road Garda Station on (061) 214 340, the Garda Confidential line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda station.
Gardaí have also asked people not to engage in sharing a video linked to the fatal incident with others online.
'No words to describe the absolute horror of this'
Family friend Fr Richard Davern led prayers at St Mary’s Church, Athlunkard, Limerick, in memory of Ms Morey.
“We prayed for the poor woman at mass this morning. I buried her grandfather Pa O’Donnell only last February. They are a lovely family from St Mary’s Park,” Fr Davern said.
The Limerick parish priest said the family were well know in community and sporting circles.
“There are no words to really describe the absolute horror of this. God love them,” Fr Davern said.
“Everyone is just shocked, it’s horrific, absolutely horrific."
“I spoke to one of her former school teachers this morning and they said [Ms Morey] had a lovely personality.
"They said she had ambitions to go back to college and train as a [Special Needs Assistant] and into education, so she had ambitions, the poor girl. God love her, and God love all the first responders and emergency services worker who came upon it and have to deal with the fallout of it.”
Speaking on Wednesday afternoon, Ms Morey's granduncle said she was known for treating her dogs “like her own babies”.
Anthony O’Donnell, 58, said distressed family members telephoned him and delivered the shocking news about what had happened.
“She was out for her birthday, she was 23, and, she went home, opened the hall door to go in home when the dog attacked her, jumped out on top of her and attacked her,” Mr O’Donnell said.
“By the time the gardaí got there, they [the dogs] were mauling her, the gardaí couldn’t really get them off of her, they had to shoot the dog to get him off of her, that’s what I’m hearing from family members that are ringing me,” he said.
Paying tribute, Mr O’Donnell described his grandniece as “a lovely girl, with a great heart, would do you a good turn rather than any turn”.
“She was a decent girl, quiet, she kept to herself.”
Mr O’Donnell said two young women who were staying in the same hotel as him in Spain told him his deceased grandniece was well known for posting photos of herself and the dogs on social media.
“There’s two young girls here and they know her and they said she used to treat them [the dogs] like babies,” he said.
“They said she used to have Snapchats up and Facebook [posts] with the dogs inside in bed with her, that they were like her children.”
“I said to them this morning it just goes to show you cant trust dogs. You cant trust any dog, but especially those dogs they are bred to kill.”
Family and friends said they were planning an event in Limerick on Thursday night where purple and yellow balloons would be released in Ms Morey’s memory.
Relatives described Ms Morey as “the most kindest woman in this world”.
Local councillor Gerald Mitchell, who is Mayor of the City and County of Limerick, said he was "shocked" to hear about the incident while Brigid Teefy, another councillor, described the incident as “terrible”.
“I was talking to people on the phone and everybody is horrified,” Ms Teefy told the PA news agency.
It’s a horrific story. It’s so rare that there’s an occurrence like that.
Councillor Conor Sheehan, said the incident was “very, very tragic” and that his sympathies go out to the woman’s family. Councillor Adam Teskey also sent his condolences, and said there is shock among locals.
“This is a harrowing moment in our community,” he said.
Rural and Community Development Minister Heather Humphreys, who recently set up a group to examine dog control, said she was “appalled” by the “deeply shocking incident”.
“I was appalled and sickened when I heard the news this morning about this young woman who was savagely killed by a dog, and my thoughts and my prayers are with her family.”
In a statement, she said: “A Garda investigation is under way and it’s important we establish the facts on what happened.
“I have consistently said that more action is required in relation to dog control.
“That’s why I have set up a cross-governmental stakeholder group, chaired by the retired deputy garda commissioner John Twomey, to examine this whole area.” She said she has asked the group to examine the restricted breeds list and whether Ireland should follow the example of the UK and Northern Ireland.
“If they recommend to me that we should ban a particular breed, I’m happy to do that. But I want to let them carry out their work because there’s a number of different views and different approaches on this and I want to make sure we get it right.”
There are several restricted breeds in Ireland, including German shepherds, rottweilers and various bull terriers, as well as some crosses.
Restricted dogs must be kept collared with their owner’s information on a tag, muzzled in public and on a short, strong lead with someone over the age of 16 who is able to control them.
Asked when the working group’s work will be completed, Ms Humphreys said they have held a number of meetings to date.
“I will be speaking with the chair again today to find out exactly what their current situation is but I know they’ve met on a number of occasions already and these would be issues that they’ll be looking at,” she said.
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