Ashling Murphy’s family to host charity trad concert in her honour

The entire nation grieved the loss of 23-year-old school teacher Ashling Murphy, who was brutally murdered earlier this year while she was out for a run in the middle of the day.

Now, Ashling’s family have found the perfect way to honour their daughter and sister and make sure she is never forgotten.

Ashling’s family have set up a trust fund with the aim of raising money for various causes which were close to Ashling’s heart, including the Tullamore Tradfest, as Ashling was a beloved member of the traditional music community.

The trad concert will be taking place in the Tullamore Court Hotel, located in Ashling’s hometown, this Sunday and will be raising money for the trust which has been set up in Ashling’s honour.

The festival is set to end with a memorial concert dedicated to Ashling, as it’s titled ‘Ceiliuradh Ceolmhar ar Ashling Murphy’. Ballyboy CCE, the Macalla na hEireann Tour Group, the Sacred Heart School Choir and Orchestra, and Best Foot Forward are some of the acts set to take to the stage.

The ticketed event is free to attend and will be livestreamed by Tullamore Tradfest and TG4, for anyone who would like to watch from home. As this is a charity event, people are asked to make donations to a GoFundMe page set up for the Ashling Murphy Memorial Trust.

Currently, donations amount to €2,775 out of the €3,000 goal, however, it’s expected that this target will be reached and surpassed over the next few days and throughout the weekend.

On the donation page there is also a lovely video of Ashling and her sister Amy playing a few trad tunes during a previous festival, Ashling on the fiddle and her sister on the accordion. 

“It’s a special concert to remember Ashling for who she was,” event organiser James Horgan said when speaking to The Mirror, adding that she reached so many people locally, nationally and internationally.

“We are going to bring all that back to Tullamore and show her family that while she is gone she will never be forgotten,” Mr. Horgan added.