‘I’ve walked all my life down these certain roads and now I won’t walk them on my own’

Many women have altered their running routes and stopped exercising after dark since the death of Ashling Murphy in Tullamore last year, according to participants in the annual Phoenix Park remembrance run.

Marie Keoghan from Kildare, who took part in Sunday’s 5km-long run in memory of her parents, uncle and close friend Maria, said she stopped travelling along certain roads following Ashling’s murder in January 2022.

“The routes I would have travelled for 30 odd years, I’m more nervous about going down them because they’re back roads,” Ms Keoghan said.

“I’ve lived there all my life, walked all my life down these certain roads and now I won’t walk them on my own. You try to go to more populated areas and you’re hoping there’s safety.”

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“I think it was worse because it was Tullamore, a small town, it wasn’t Dublin,” said Emily Owens, who was running in memory of her aunt. “It made it closer to home, that it could happen to any of us.”

Hundreds gathered to take part in the annual run in memory of loved ones who have lost their lives in recent years. Undeterred by the cold and rainy conditions, people of all ages gathered on Chesterfield Avenue and set off at 10am.

Marian Kavanagh from Ballyfermot, who was running with her sister Carmel in memory of their parents and other sister Joan, said she used to run along the Liffey at Islandbridge in the evenings but now sticks to the main road because there is better lighting.

“The Furry Glen [in the Phoenix Park] is absolutely fabulous but you can’t run there, you’d be looking over your shoulder. We [women] have to pre-think about where are we going, what time are we going.”

Ms Kavanagh fears the discussion about women’s safety when exercising will fade away now the Aisling Murphy trial has finished. “There was all this talk of things going to change but then things go quiet.”

“It’s very unfair that women have to feel that fear when they’re out doing something to clear their mind and keep them healthy,” added Catherine Lawless from Finglas, who joined Ms Kavanagh on the run.

Dubliners Saoirse Hamilton Birdy (17) and Daisy Smith (16) agreed they’d never run in the dark and would keep to busy areas where there are lots of people when jogging. “It’s not fair,” said Ms Hamilton Birdy. “We should be able to run in the dark as men do.”

However, their friend Lena Mahon (17) said she tries not to let the fear of what might happen stop her from exercising in the dark. “I should be able to do it and push on through. I do it because if you don’t, you’re giving more people a reason to be afraid.”

Liam Kelly, who was running in memory of his father-in-law, said Ashling’s death had “brought to the forefront” the risks women face when running alone and at night. “People are more aware of it but there are still women out there running in the dark on their own.”

His son, Aran, admitted he was surprised by his girlfriend’s stories of holding her keys between her fingers when walking at night in case of being attacked.

“It’s even the small things, like she won’t walk to the shop to get milk when it’s dark outside so I go with her. It’s nearly like being a child and having a parent to hold your hand when crossing the road. It’s disgraceful and it shouldn’t be that way.

“Years ago it was a case of ‘don’t go out in the city on your own’. But now it’s ‘don’t go out in the countryside on your own’ and ‘don’t go out on the canal on your own’.”