LAST UPDATE | 1 hr ago

A MAN IN his 40s has been arrested in connection with a hit-and-run incident in Co Limerick on Saturday, which resulted in the death of a 21 year-old pedestrian.

Marguerita Sheridan was seriously injured after a silver Ford Transit van drove into a set of gates she was standing beside in Rathkeale, Co Limerick on Saturday afternoon. The driver did not stop, and fled the scene.

Ms Sheridan, who had given birth to a baby boy three weeks ago, was rushed by ambulance to University Hospital Limerick where she was described to be in a “critical condition”, but later died.

Gardaí have since arrested a man, aged in his 40s, as part of the investigation into the fatal incident.

Gardaí said in a statement that a van believed to have been involved in this incident has been recovered, and will be subject to a technical examination.

The man is currently detained at a Garda Station in Co. Limerick, as gardaí appeal for witnesses.

“Investigations are ongoing,” a garda spokesperson said.

“Any road users or pedestrians who may have camera footage (including dash-cam) and were in the Rathkeale area in Co. Limerick between 11:30am and 1:00pm are asked to make this footage available to investigating Gardaí”.

Gardaí are understood to be probing links between the hit-and-run and a wider feuding in the town, and are investigating whether the incident in question was part of that feud.

Officers are investigating if the van located today was the one involved in the hit-and-run.

They’re also investigating if it was to be used as part of an attack on a property on the site where the young woman was struck.

There is no suggestion that Marguerita Sheridan was involved in the feuding.

Meanwhile, there have been complaints that gardaí in the Rathkeale area are under-resourced at the moment and Limerick TD Niall Collins has said that the “circumstances of Rathkeale are such that gardaí have to develop and implement a dedicated community policing plan for the Christmas period and into the new year period”.

Speaking to RTÉ, Collins described this policing plan as “very detailed” and added that there is “extensive consultation with all stakeholders”.

He said more resources have to be applied to the policing plan each year.

“The challenge which presents itself to An Garda Síochána to maintain proper public order and to maintain a sense of normality for the wider community; that challenge is growing each year, and it’s requiring more resources,” said Collins.

He said that since Sheridan’s death on Saturday, more resources have been “applied into the local community from outside of the local garda district”.

He appealed for calm and asked for the local community to support gardaí “in every and any way they can”.

Collins added that he was in Rathkeale a lot recently, especially as a result of the general election last month, and that “throughout the general election, there was an increased garda presence, an increase of foot patrols and visibility by gardaí”.

“The gardai are obviously most concerned, I think that would be an understatement,” said Collins.

“They’ve been dealing with many other issues – public order and criminality – which are happening and have happened unfortunately over the last couple of days and weeks in and around the town.

“Gardaí are concerned about that and they’re trying to carry out their investigation in parallel with trying to keep calm, but also to keep a sense of normality for the wider community, and that’s very important also.”