Gardaí in Tralee, Co Kerry, are investigating a second allegation of a sexual assault in the town in over a week.
The latest attack is alleged to have occurred at Spa Road, Tralee, between 1.15am and 1.30am yesterday in a busy, built-up area near houses and a hospital.
The middle-aged woman was taken to the sexual assault unit at the South Infirmary-Victoria Hospital in Cork.
A short distance away, the previous Sunday week, a woman in her late 20s was assaulted in the Upper Rock Street area.
She was returning from a night out with friends and was dragged into the rear of a house by a man she may have spoken to a short time before.
Because no forensic examiner was available in Cork, the woman had to travel to Waterford for examination.
Gardaí have issued a description of that attacker as clean-shaven, with light to dark hair and 5ft 8in to 6ft in height.
They do not believe the incidents are linked but Garda sources stressed the latest incident was at an early stage of investigation.
Also, gardaí say a definite line of inquiry is being followed in the case of an assault on a young foreign national in Killarney last week.