Ashling Murphy Memorial Fund 'overwhelmed' by €60,000 award
The committee of the Ashling Murphy Memorial Fund, which was set up to help honour the memory of the much-loved Offaly schoolteacher, said it was "overwhelmed" after securing a €60,000 donation through the PTSB Community Fund initiative.
It shared news of the significant funding award on social media, and also outlined how Ashling will be remembered in a special way at next month's Tullamore Tradfest.
A fiddle recital in memory of Ashling forms part of the tradfest programme, and will take place at 1pm on Sunday, April 13, in Killeigh Comhaltas Teach Cheoil, located on Offaly Street, Tullamore.
"Ashling was very much a part of previous tradfests, so we found it fitting to support this year's festival," stated the Ashling Murphy Memorial Fund.
The memorial fund was established in November 2022, after the 23-year-old's life was tragically ended earlier that year, and its overarching aim is to help support traditional Irish Arts, culture and heritage for young people.
Ashling's sister, Amy, recently attended the presentation of the €60,000 cheque to the charity which was donated from the PTSB Community Fund.
The Ashling Murphy Memorial Fund was one of five charities from the 'North and West' region which were the subject of a public vote for support from the community fund last year.
Reacting to the cheque presentation in a social media post, the local memorial fund committee said: "We were overwhelmed to be presented with an extraordinary €60,000 raised by the dedicated staff of PTSB branches across our region, and matched by the PTSB.
"These funds will play a pivotal role in honouring Ashling's memory and preserving the strong legacy she left behind. This contribution has far exceeded our expectations, and it's difficult to put into words just how much it means to us.
"We are honoured to have been part of such a wonderful initiative, and the funds raised will enable us to carry forward Ashling's legacy in the way she would have wanted - by helping others and making a positive impact on the community through supporting the traditional Irish Arts, culture and heritage."
The local fund extended a special thank you to Nicole Farrell and the management and staff of PTSB Tullamore, which initially selected the charity as its 'employee choice' recipient.
"The events, campaigns, and initiatives carried out by the staff in Tullamore, as well as other PTSB branches across the region, have demonstrated the power of community and how much can be accomplished when people come together with a shared purpose," stated the Ashling Murphy Memorial Fund.
"A heartfelt thank you also goes out to the public who voted for us to become a part of the Community Fund initiative last year... We cannot express how much it means to know that Ashling's memory resonates so strongly within the community."
Voting for the 2025 PTSB Community Fund recipients is now open, with Accessible Counselling Tullamore among the charities in contention in the region this year.
In other news, the date has been announced for the 2025 Ashling Murphy Four-Mile Road Race, which will take place in Tullamore on Sunday, May 11.