"she grabbed me from behind and a very, very vicious assault took place"
An Indian-born woman was violently attacked, as racially motivated assaults in Ireland surge.
Sonali Flynn, who has lived in Ireland for 26 years, was celebrating Kerry’s All-Ireland football win on July 27, 2025, when she was targeted.
She had stopped at a local takeaway in the early hours when a woman began verbally abusing her, calling her “a foreign b****”.
Sonali said: “The next thing I knew was this woman just verbally started abusing me with the most heinous of words.”
She attempted to leave but was then attacked by the woman:
“I decided to walk out straight away, and that’s exactly what I was doing when she grabbed me from behind and a very, very vicious assault took place with onlookers watching.”
During the attack, she was kicked, punched and dragged along the ground by her hair. Her head was slammed against a window.
“I actually didn’t sleep that night because I was sobbing, I was crying, I was hurt.”
Footage of the assault later appeared on social media, compounding the trauma.
Sonali continued: “My children are going through a lot of distress after having watched that video; it has impacted my children in such a negative way.
“Ever since the incident, I’ve actually not been able to move out of the house.”
She stressed that she had never experienced racism in Ireland before.
“I belong to this town, I believe I’m Irish. I believe I’m from this county. I have lived here for 26 years. My two children were born here in Tralee… I have never ever experienced something so horrific.”
While describing the incident as “an extreme”, Sonali emphasised her belief in the warmth of most locals.
She said: “I still strongly believe the majority of Irish people are the most welcome and loving people. I am overwhelmed with the kind support that I have received from the finest of people in Kerry.”
The assault comes amid a rise in racially motivated incidents across Ireland.
Sonali said: “It’s really such a pity that there could be one sector in a society that can have such hateful thoughts for another human being because of his or her skin colour.
She confirmed she would not attend the upcoming Rose of Tralee festival, adding:
“It’s a pity, this is my town.”
The increase in violence has already led to the postponement of Dublin’s India Day celebrations, due to take place at Farmleigh House in Phoenix Park on August 17.
Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan met Ireland India Council representatives to discuss the situation.
He said in a statement: “Attacks on individuals because of their inherent characteristics, including race, are abhorrent to the values of our republic and are condemned by any right-thinking people.
“What I find most concerning about these attacks is that the majority appear to have been carried out by young people.
“I have been informed that Garda Juvenile Liaison Officers are engaging with the respective communities and youth groups on the matter.”
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