Reflecting on the Year Post Ashling Murphy’s Murder

As we start a new year, it is impossible to not reflect on the good and bad events that occured the previous year. A major event at the beginning of 2022 was the tragic death of Ashling Murphy, a young primary school teacher who was attacked in broad daylight while she was exercising. As we come to the one year anniversary of her untimely death, the thoughts of other women who have been killed or attacked violently come to mind and whether society has changed since Aisling Murphy’s death or instead stayed the same.

During our winter break there were three major deaths resulting from violence against women. On December 18th 2022, Natalie McNally, a 32-year old woman, and her unborn baby were stabbed and fatally injured in county Armagh. As of writing this piece the police are still searching for the person responsible for her death.

Another woman, Bruna Fonseca (28) was beaten and murdered by her previous partner on New Year’s Day. Both moved from Brazil to Ireland within the last year after graduating university. Most recently, a woman in her 40’s from Ashtown, Dublin was found violently murdered in her apartment. It is reported she was stabbed numerous times and was killed by someone known to her. These deaths are just the tip of the iceberg.

The role of social media surrounding the death of Ashling Murphy is very important in terms of how we view the deaths of other women due to violence online. The image of Ashling Murphy is one many women can relate to, she was a young, college graduate and out minding her own business before she was murdered.

Due to the clear picture of painted by the media, it was easy for the story of her death to burst people’s social media bubbles and raise interest and sympathy for her story. Her story remained a popular national news story and sometimes even gained international coverage.

Due to how quick the news and social media cycles go, her story was sidelined which often happens with more women violently attacked around the country. While the news evokes a sense of sadness and frustration within us, it can be difficult to stay relevant and make the noise Ashling’s did due to the saturation and continuity of seeing women being harassed, hurt and murdered in Ireland.

Women’s Aid reports that since 1996, 249 women have died in the Republic of Ireland due to gender based violence. This study also found that 9 out of 10 of these women knew their killer and that 20 children (people under 18) have died where women around them have died because of gender-based violence. These are startling statistics for women across Ireland, but what are local and national entities doing to make society a safer place for women?

When Michál Martin spoke at Ashling Murphy’s funeral last year he reported that he wanted a “zero-tolerance approach to violence against women” and in June 2022, the