Kilkenny stabbing victim 'asked (man) to leave, but he pushed door back in, and stabbed her'
A man is still being held by gardaí investigating the fatal stabbing of a woman in Kilkenny city last night.
The victim has been named locally as Mairead Moran, who was in her late 20s and originally from Kilmoganny.
She was attacked while she worked at a shop in the Market Cross centre at around 8.30pm yesterday, and died later in hospital.
A 27-year-old man is in custody. A post mortem is to be carried out on Mairead's remains at Waterford Regional Hospital this afternoon.
Deputy editor of the Kilkenny People Sean Keane said witnesses described how the woman was stabbed after a man entered the premises.
"They said she asked him to leave (but) he pushed the door back in and then he stabbed her three or four times," he said.
"She made her way onto the walkway outside, and staff from a number of the other outlets came to her aid…but she was pronounced dead at St Luke's Hospital."
It is understood gardaí located a taxi shortly after the incident which it is thought took the suspect to Loughboy, about three kilometres from Market Cross.
Later, a spokeswoman for the Market Cross shopping centre said the management team were supporting gardaí, who spent several hours on site.
“Market Cross are co-operating with the gardai in their investigation,” the spokeswoman said. “Obviously we are all shocked at the events at the shopping centre.”
The shopping centre remained closed throughout the morning as forensic teams carried out inspections.
A friend of Mairead's from the area said "I can't believe she's gone. It still hasn't sunk in. She was just so full of life, and great craic to be around."
