Man arrested over alleged fatal assault of music and choir teacher in Limerick

Gardaí investigating an alleged fatal assault of a former music and choir teacher last year, arrested a man on Tuesday, as part of their ongoing inquiries.

Louise Muckell (54) was discovered seriously injured in her home in Rathkeale, west Co Limerick on July 19th, 2022. She was rushed by ambulance to University Hospital Limerick where she was pronounced dead on July 20th.

Gardaí have been working on a theory that Ms Muckell was the victim of a serious assault at a property in Limerick city in the hours or days before her death.

Today gardaí confirmed their arrest of a man “aged in his early 50s, in connection with the fatal assault of a woman at a residence in Rathkeale, Co Limerick on Tuesday, 19th July, 2022”.

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Gardaí said they brought the man to Henry Street Garda station, where he was being detained “pursuant to section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984” which allows the man to be held for questioning for up to 24 hours.

[ Louise Muckell killing: Gardaí believe people in woman’s social circle have vital information ]

It is the first arrest in the case and the first official confirmation by Garda that they have stepped up their investigation from a “death in unexplained circumstances” to one of “fatal assault”.

Last year, investigating officers had identified a chief suspect but they were awaiting the results of analysis of forensic evidence and toxicology tests following a postmortem on the body.

The results of the 2022 autopsy, which was conducted by State Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster, were not disclosed “for operational reasons”.

Gardaí suspect Ms Muckell may have been driven from her home in Rathkeale to and from a property on Windmill Street on the day she was found with serious injuries.

Garda had appealed “in particular” to speak to any persons “who were in the Windmill Street area of Limerick city or the Cois Deel area of Rathkeale between Sunday, 17th July, 2022, and Tuesday, 19th July, 2022, who observed any activity which drew their attention”.

Appeals were also made for “camera footage including dashcam and CCTV of either area between these dates”.

Ms Muckell was regarded as a talented music teacher who taught in the former Sisters of Mercy secondary school, Rathkeale, and had trained under the late Irish soprano Veronica Dunne.