Parents of Irishwoman murdered in New York confront killer with heartbreaking message
Sarah McNally, 41, was stabbed to death while working at the Ceili House Bar in Queens(Image: rip.ie)The parents of Irishwoman Sarah McNally expressed their heartbreak at the cruel murder of their only child in a letter read to the court today.The 41-year-old was stabbed to death by her boyfriend, Marcin Pieciak, 37, in March 2024. The two had been dating for several months, and had recently started living together, but friends said McNally was no longer happy in the relationship.On the night of March 30, Pieciak went behind the bar while McNally was working and stabbed her 19 times in the neck, back and chest.Today, as Pieciak was sentenced to 24 years in prison, the court heard a letter from McNally’s parents, Dorrie and Des, who said that their daughter was their “pride and joy,” and they thought that they would see her return to Ireland again one day.“We all thought we would get to see Sarah again,” they wrote, “whether that was in Ireland or New York. It’s hard to come to terms with the fact that we never will.”The Co Longford native had been living in New York for a decade, and friends said in the weeks leading up to her tragic death, she had expressed a desire to move back to Ireland.“We will never get to welcome her back into her home,” her parents wrote - a reality they said continues to hit them in the quiet moments.“Because of you,” they wrote, addressing Pieciak, “she is not able to come home to her family. We will never get to see her again.”As a bartender at a popular neighbourhood pub, McNally was well known in her locality. A regular patron at the Céilí House told the Irish Star that McNally confided in her, saying her relationship had become toxic and she was fearful to remain living with Pieciak.Sarah McNally worked at Ceili House where she was stabbed in the neck (Image: Facebook/Ceili House)“No one should ever lose her life because she wants to leave her relationship," the letter read.In their letter, McNally’s parents described her death as “the most painful, gut-wrenching thing we have ever experienced,” adding that it was not something they would ever be able to get over.The family also said that they pray for everyone who had to witness the traumatic attack on March 30, saying, “we can’t imagine the terror they must have gone through. No one should ever have to experience or witness something so evil.”Pieciak stood before the court today and told the judge that he thinks about the night of the attack and of Sarah every day, and he hoped one day the McNally family would forgive him.He said, “That day I hurt both families, mine and Sarah’s. I know that her family are waiting for answers, but unfortunately I don’t have any answers.”“I know maybe it’s too early now, but I hope that one day you can forgive me,” he added.Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here.
