Ashling Murphy
We need more males to speak up.

It was with profound sadness and shock that we learned last week of the untimely and tragic death of Ashling Murphy, a primary teacher of only three months.

The tragedy of Ashling Murphy’s death in Tullamore has shaken the country this week. The senseless murder of a woman in broad daylight has led to a poignant outpouring of grief and anger across the nation over the past few days.

The conversation has turned, as it must, to what men can do to make this country a safer place for women. The simple fact of the matter is that Ashling Murphy is not the first woman to be murdered in this fashion and that it has been proven time and time again that Irish men need to become proactive in making this country a safer place for the women of this country.
As an All-Boys Secondary School, we want our lads to leave this school and become men of the highest standard knowing their obligations and duty to society. We are calling on all men and women to challenge men, both young & old, about the way they disrespect and mistreat women.

“We want to see men challenged by each other and by ourselves about the way they disrespect and mistreat women- and about the silence of their colleagues and friends. So when a sexist joke is told or a derogatory comment is made (when female runners are catcalled, whistled at, yelled at, laughed at, pointed at), all of us, you, me, all males need to start to challenge these small things because if we don’t we’re feeding into a culture that ends in very bleak things and very serious things.

So, let’s not trivialise it – some people may think it’s a very far cry from murdering a female, but actually it’s not that far away, because it’s all on a continuum of abuse of women.

In summary, it’s about trying to change a culture.
Thank you for listening this morning.