Hundreds of people who gathered to remember murdered schoolteacher Ashling Murphy heard how a fund set up in her memory has spent more than €150,000 supporting causes close to her heart.
The 23-year-old was murdered on January 12, 2022, while running along a canal path in Tullamore, Co Offaly.
On Monday, a large crowd gathered there to mark the fourth anniversary of her death.
Members of her family, and Ms Murphy’s boyfriend Ryan Casey, led a walk along the Grand Canal, retracing her final moments. It ended at a shrine maintained by locals which marks the spot where she was murdered.
Prayers were said at the shrine and a selection of traditional songs were played to honour the keen musician.
James Hogan, chairperson of the Ashling Murphy Memorial Fund, said: “Ashling was involved in sport, music, an teanga Gaeilge, school and was just a real community person.
“We’re delighted to be able to keep that going. Young people are going to flourish from her memory.
“She is deeply, deeply missed every day. It’s wrong and it’s not fair, but we have to move forward together.”
He added: “Ashling may not be with us in person, but she’s with us in spirit. And we’ve all our own little ways of remembering her, be it a robin or a rainbow or whatever natural item which appears.”
Laura Murray said Ms Murphy’s absence is felt “every single day”, adding “her loss is immeasurable”.
She said the memorial fund committee, made up of people close to Ms Murphy, were “beyond grateful” to everyone who has been involved in commemorative walks across Ireland and who will attend an event due to take place in New York next weekend.
The fund was established in November, 2022, for the purpose of “fulfilling Ashling’s legacy”. It supports organisations representing areas of interest to Ms Murphy, including Irish culture, heritage, arts, sport and science.
Among other projects, the organisation is proud of the Gaeltacht scholarships it has recently launched.
It says the eight scholarships are “heavily funded” and will help TY and fifth-year students take up places at Coláiste Chamuis in Galway, which Ms Murphy attended.
In November, 2023, Jozef Puska was sentenced to life in prison for Ms Murphy’s murder. - PA
