"We're all trying to ensure that we remember Ashling"
Ashling Murphy's boyfriend and sister have paid tribute to her ahead of her birthday.
The primary school teacher would have celebrated her 24th birthday this year.
In honour of the late musician, Ashling's sister and boyfriend completed a charity cycle in her memory.
Her sister Amy and boyfriend Ryan Casey raised almost €13,000 for the Ashling Murphy memorial trust.
Speaking about the charity cycle, Councillor Neil Feighery said the community is still in shock over Ashling's brutal murder.
However, they are rallying together to keep her memory alive.
He told The Irish Mirror, "They’re raising money for the charitable trust and I suppose it’s to remember first and foremost it’s to remember Ashling and to keep her memory very much alive."
"We’re all in some way trying to ensure that we remember Ashling," he added.
“It’s a very hard time. These are things we can do to try and help, all of these things will in some small way assist her dad Ray and mum Kathleen, sister Amy, brother Cathal and her boyfriend Ryan.”
"It’s horrendous. It’s not six months yet since her tragic death.
He said Ashling's tragic and senseless death "touched us all".
“We all in our parish and in our community, not a day goes by that you wouldn’t think in some way of Ashling or her family.”
Ashling was attacked and killed at around 4 pm on January 12th. The teacher was jogging along the Grand Canal in Tullamore when a man attacked her and strangled her.
Jozef Puška was arrested and charged with the murder of Ashling Murphy on January 19th.
