Tributes have been paid to 46-year-old Anna Mooney, who was murdered in her home in north Dublin on Thursday. Her husband, 51-year-old Stephen Mooney, has been charged with the murder of Ms Mooney, who was originally from Ukraine but had been living in Ireland for many years.
Anna Mooney, a mother of two, was pronounced dead in the early hours of Thursday, after she was stabbed in her own home on Kilbarrack Road in Raheny, Dublin 5.
It is understood that murder suspect, Stephen Mooney of Kilbarrack Road in Raheny, called emergency services himself. Paramedics arrived in response to the call and Ms Mooney, 46, who was found in her kitchen,was pronounced dead a short time later.
Gardai were notified before Mr Mooney was arrested inside the home. Sources told The Irish Mirror that Ms Mooney was the victim of a “savage” attack before she was killed.
Mr Mooney, a businessman, was charged in the early hours of Friday morning in Clontarf Garda station. The accused is said to have replied “no comment” when the charge of murder was put to him. He was remanded in custody until 20 June, and his defence solicitor, Phelim O’Neill, said Mr Mooney’s only application was for legal aid.
Ms Mooney (née Shupikova) was originally from Ukraine but it is understood she had been living in Ireland for many years. Reports state that a teenage girl and a young boy were inside the two-story semi-detached house at the time, and are now being cared for by relatives.
Speaking to The Irish Sun, the local community in Raheny expressed sorrow and shock at the news.
One local said: “I’ve been living in this community for 51 years and never has anything like this ever happened.
“But it’s so tragic that you hear stories like this on a regular basis more and more across the country. I just never thought it would happen here”.
On social media, one woman, who said she had worked with Ms Mooney, described her as “kind” and “bubbly” – but above all, a “wonderful mother” to her children, and a “great daughter” to her own mother.
“I had the privilege of working with Anna. She was kind, bubbly, friendly, very smart & loved by everyone. Most importantly she was a wonderful mother to her children & a great daughter to her mother who is wheelchair bound & lives in Ukraine. It’s sad on so many levels. RIP Anna x.” the tribute, posted to Twitter, read.
I had the privilege of working with Anna. She was kind, bubbly, friendly, very smart & loved by everyone. Most importantly she was a wonderful mother to her children & a great daughter to her mother who is wheelchair bound & lives in Ukraine. It's sad on so many levels. RIP Annax
— Suz (@Flitteron) June 17, 2023
Ms Mooney’s death notice posted to RIP.ie said she would be “very sadly missed by her adored daughter Nicole and son Ivan”.
It also said she would be sadly missed by her mother Ludmila, father Alexander, brother Anton and his wife Katya, cousins Tanya and Alexander, sister-in law Linda, brothers-in-law Ken and Desmond, nieces Avelina, Antonia and Alina, nephew Tadhg, uncle Vladmir, aunt Lyudmila, along with extended family, neighbours, colleagues at the Rotunda Hospital, and a wide circle of friends.
Women’s Aid Ireland were among those who paid tribute to Ms Mooney, saying it sent its thoughts and condolences to Anna’s children, family friends, and community “who mourn a life stolen through violence”.
Her murder follows the recent death of 21-year-old Chloe Mitchell from Ballymena in County Antrim. A 26-year-old man appeared in Court earlier this week charged with murdering Ms Mitchell between the 3rd and 5th June.
In March, provisional statistics released by Garda HQ revealed that the number of killings in Ireland jumped by more than three-quarters last year. There were 44 cases of murder or manslaughter in Ireland last year, compared to 25 in 2021, representing an increase of 76 percent.
There was also an 8 percent increase in domestic abuse incidents – with almost 54,000 such incidents responded to by the gardai in 2021, and just over 44,5000 in 2020.
Sexual offences were also up, seeing an overall increase of 8 percent on 2019, and 4 percent on 2021, with reported rape up by 13 percent since 2019 and 2 percent since 2021. Instances of human trafficking in Ireland were up 110 per cent compared to 2019, and 31 per cent on 2021.
Ms Mooney’s death notice on RIP.ie said that her funeral details are yet to be announced.