Over €14,500 raised for Women’s Aid after murder of Ashling Murphy

More than €14,500 has been raised for Women’s Aid four weeks after Irish teacher Ashling Murphy was murdered.

In the month after the schoolteacher’s death, dozens of campaigns were set up in her memory.

Of them, more than 35 campaigns were set up in Ireland to donate to Women’s Aid, a national charity working to end domestic abuse against women and children.

Ms Murphy, 23, died after she was attacked while jogging along a canal near Tullamore, Co Offaly on January 12.

Several vigils were held across the country as thousands called for an end to gender-based violence after the talented musician’s death.

Many GoFundMe campaigns set up in her memory saw fundraisers raising money by going for a run, walk or jog as she had.

Of those, Rebecca Fleming raised more than €800 by helping to organise a 5K run.

Writing on her page, Ms Fleming said the run was put together “in memory of Ashling Murphy and as a show of solidarity to all walkers and runners”.

Lauren McKeon, who raised over €335 for the charity, said she would run the Dingle marathon in September.

On her fundraising page, she said: “Ashling Murphy is all of us, except we made it home.”

Oliver James also raised €2,615 for Women’s Aid with his 5K walk campaign.

Nicole Schneegass, senior manager, the European Customer Operations for the online fundraising page, said: “There has been an extraordinary outpouring of solidarity in the wake of this tragic event.

“What we see in these terrible situations is communities pulling together to find hope.”

Jozef Puska, 31, of Lynally Grove in Co Offaly, has been accused of Ms Murphy’s murder.

He is currently remanded in custody in Cloverhill prison.