Family and friends honor Ashling Murphy on what would have been her 27th birthday

Ashling’s life was tragically and callously short in January 2022 when, aged just 24 she was brutally killed by Jozef Puška, while she was doing nothing more than out for her routine evening run. Over three years on the schoolteacher’s family and friends have rallied around to celebrate her all too short life.

The tight-knit Tullamore town of Blueball, from which Ashling was born, bred, raised and dearly loved, have established The Ashling Murphy Memorial Fund to ensure her enduring legacy. 

In a post on Instagram, the community fund today paid tribute to Ashling’s legacy, writing :

"Today we remember the life of Ashling on what would have been her 27th birthday — her fourth heavenly birthday away from those who loved her, and who continue to love and miss her so dearly.

 "Though Ashling is no longer with us, her memory lives on, and her legacy endures in the countless lives she touched during her short but remarkable time with us — and in those she will continue to inspire in the years ahead.

"We remember Ashling for her love of music, her unwavering dedication to teaching and learning, her kindness, her generous spirit, and her radiant smile.

"Though she may be gone, there is comfort in knowing that her light still shines — in the hearts of those she loved, and in the many lives her legacy continues to uplift."

And while Ashling has indeed left a hole in the lives of her loved ones and the community, the Ashling Murphy Memorial Fund has raised thousands to sponsor initiatives in her local area.

An array of sport clubs, musical societies and other clubs have benefited from tens of thousands of funds raised in Ashling’s honor by those whose lives she touched.

And it’s not just Offaly or even Ireland that is determined to ensure Ashling’s legacy spreads far and wide -this year, one woman completed the New York Marathon, crossing the Manhattan finish line wearing a T-shirt bearing Ashling’s name and face.

* This article was originally published on Extra.ie.