The world should never have heard of Ashling Murphy but it won't forget her

The violent death of 23-year-old Ashling Murphy while out for a run on the banks of the Grand Canal at Boland's Lock, just outside Tullamore, on January 12 last, has led to intense grief among all who have read of the tragedy, not just in Ireland, but all over the world.

As a Tullamore man living in England, I have been reflecting on the tragedy and the manner in which it evoked such an intense response at a global level, one I would never have expected.

I should say at the outset that I don't know the Murphy family personally, but am aware that they are widely connected in Blueball and surrounding areas; I have discovered that one of my old schoolmates from Coláiste Choilm, Tullamore, was a cousin of Ashling's.

Clearly, she was an exceptionally talented young woman, loved by her pupils and colleagues at Scoil Naomh Colmcille in Durrow, an accomplished musician with Ballyboy Comhaltas, as outlined here: Comhaltas: Blog: Ashling Murphy, and a camogie player with Kilcormac-Killoughey GAA Club.

As the organiser of one of the rallies put it, "We should never have heard of Ashling Murphy", in other words, it should have been enough that she was known among her friends through her talent in sport and music as well as being a kind and generous teacher.

However, we may hope that the Murphy and Leonard families, and Ashling's boyfriend Ryan Casey, will draw some consolation from the worldwide outpouring of grief and solidarity. The response demonstrates how the power of social media has enabled such solidarity in a way one could not have imagined even a decade ago.

In addition to the rallies and vigils throughout both parts of Ireland, a striking feature has been the response in Britain. It was a strange feeling to see familiar places like Blueball, Mountbolus, Durrow and Cappincur mentioned in the British media in such a tragic context.

It was a sharp contrast to the positive coverage Offaly received during, for example, Brian Cowen's years as minister and Taoiseach, which greatly raised the profile of the Faithful County, or more recently the success of Shane Lowry in winning the British Open.

It also contrasted with the high profile of Offaly people successful in the entertainment and music world, such as Edenderry's Neil Delamere, or Tullamore's Brendan Keeley and, more recently, Tolü Makay.

I have been struck by the manner in which British friends, with little or no Irish connections, got in touch with me to express their sorrow at the tragic death of Ashling Murphy.

ABOVE: Candles lit around the word 'hope' at a vigil for Ashling Murphy in Birr

As someone who has not been back to Offaly since 2011, I was greatly moved by the empathy shown by so many British people as well as Irish in Britain. In addition to the rally outside the London Irish Centre in Camden, there was a vigil in Liverpool held by the feminist group Reclaim the Night, and this was highlighted by the Labour councillor Ann O'Byrne on social media.

In Manchester, broadcaster Síle Martin and her friends led a gathering at the statue of suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst, where Irish music was played in honour of the Offaly teacher, while other events took place in Huddersfield, Warrington, Cardiff, Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Further afield, Irish migrants gathered in Brussels, Madrid, Dubai, Brisbane, New York, Auckland, Vancouver and in Chandler, Arizona, which is twinned with Tullamore. There may well have been events in other places which I am unaware of.

Equally extraordinary was the cross-community response in Northern Ireland, the fact that politicians from right across the political spectrum, so normally at odds, gathered outside Stormont to condemn what happened and to show solidarity with the bereaved family and friends of Ashling Murphy.

Likewise, we saw Paul Givan of the Democratic Unionist Party, then First Minister, join Robbie Butler of the Ulster Unionist Party in a vigil outside a Lisburn Presbyterian church to honour a young woman whose hobbies may not be common among unionists, but they recognised a shared humanity far more important than flags or emblems.

PICTURED: Former Offaly Express journalist Declan McSweeney

I was pleased to see that the rally in Tullamore itself saw prayers offered by not just the Catholic clergy but representatives of the Church of Ireland, the Presbyterian and Methodist churches as well as the Cornerstone evangelical church.

It is not, of course, the first time that Tullamore has seen tragedy - the very spot where Ashling died at Fiona's Way recalls Fiona Pender, missing since 1996, who grew up a short distance away in Connolly Park. We also recall the violent deaths of Bernie Sherry in 1997 and the Brazilian-born Joselita da Silva in 2009.

However, the power of social media has on this occasion united people in sorrow at the appalling tragedy of a young woman's death while out running. It has also been a catalyst for anger over violence against women in Ireland, similar to last year's response here in the UK to the murder of Sarah Everard.

It has also evoked support for the Murphy family from others affected by tragedy, like the family of Jastine Valdez. Her mum said Ashling Murphy's death caused her 'deep pain' as she offered 'heartfelt condolences' to Ashling's family.

I know that the grief felt in Offaly is intense, and that grief is shared by those of us long migrated from there, but also by many who have never set foot in the county. Watching live the Requiem Mass at St Brigid's Church, Mountbolus, you could not but feel the loss and can't but imagine what the family is going through.

It was also deeply painful to witness the young pupils from Durrow, as well as those from Ashling's old primary school at Coolanarney, and her old secondary school, the Sacred Heart School in Tullamore. 

PICTURED: Trinity College Dublin illuminated with a picture of Ashling Murphy just weeks after her death

One thing is certain, the name of Ashling Murphy will never be forgotten, just like that of Fiona Pender. That is little consolation for her family, who would wish she was still with them, but I hope they can take some comfort from knowing so many are thinking of them and praying for them.