Heartbroken friends of a young woman beaten to death and strangled just hours into the New Year have paid tribute to her - and told of their grief.
"We are shocked and heartbroken," said Rafael Godoy as he spoke about the violent death of Brazilian woman Bruna Fonseca (28) in Cork City centre in the early hours of yesterday morning.
Rafael is the manager of the Brazilian snack house, Golden Bites - just a few hundred yards from where 28-year-old Bruna Fonseca lost her life.
He knew her as a regular customer, a smiling, friendly, young woman who had made a lot of friends in the short time she was in Cork.
He told how Leeside's large Brazillian community is struggling to come to terms with the violent death of the young woman who came to Ireland just four months ago, to start a new life.
Bruna Fonseca was attacked shortly after she returned to a Leeside apartment following a night out with friends from the large Brazillian community in Cork.
She had been celebrating New Year's eve at a Brazilian party in the Oyster Tavern off Patrick's Street.
This morning, floral tributes were being left at the door of the apartment where she died on Liberty Street.
Rafael said: "Bruna was a customer here and was well-loved by the Brazillian community."
He said: "My friends knew her very well, she was always smiling and had just moved to Cork in September. She was celebrating her first New Year's in Ireland and was having fun at the Brazilian party at the Oyster Tavern.
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"And it's heartbreaking to know that was the last time she would see the world. She's an ocean away from her family, and they'll never get to see her again."
"It's heart-breaking, and the community is in a state of shock. I don't know what it's going to be like for other Brazilians that would want to move here after hearing the news," Rafael said.
"It's uneasy and difficult to hear - and many people will be second-guessing whether they want to continue living here or even come here."
A large number of Brazilians have chosen to move to Cork in recent years to work, as well as improve their English in one of the growing number of language schools in the city.
Rafael Godoy moved to Ireland in January 2022 and now runs Golden Bites on Kyle Street - just a few hundred yards from where Bruna Fonseca lost her life - with his sister. The 31-year-old said he's heartbroken and feels for the Brazilian women who are currently in shock.
Ms Fonseca had been working as a contract cleaner in the Mercy Hospital in Cork and had been settling into her life here. She had posted pictures of herself and pals celebrating the New Year on her social media pages shortly before she was killed.
Gardai were yesterday questioning a suspect, a 29-year-old man.
Ms Fonseca was originally from Formiga in Minas Gerais in Brazil and was working as a contract cleaner at the Mercy University Hospital in Cork city. The hospital has paid tribute to the young woman who had only been working at the Mercy for a short time.
The Mercy said in a statement: “On behalf of management and staff at Mercy University Hospital Cork and Bidvest Noonan’s Contract Cleaners we are saddened and shocked at the tragic and unexpected death of Bruna Fonseca.
“Even though she was only working for a short time for the company at the hospital she was considered a hard and diligent worker and an esteemed colleague.
“We extend our deepest condolences to her friends in Cork and her family and friends in Brazil. May she rest in peace.”
