€1,000 donated to Offaly school to help pupils deal with death of teacher Ashling Murphy

Chairperson of the Tullamore Junior Pastoral Council Sian Evans presenting a cheque to the Principal of Durrow National School James Hogan, also in the picture is teacher Audrey Murphy.

placeholder image — Chairperson of the Tullamore Junior Pastoral Council Sian Evans presenting a cheque to the Principal of Durrow National School James Hogan, also in the picture is teacher Audrey Murphy.

THE Junior Parish Pastoral Council held their annual ’Spirit of Christmas’ fete in the grounds of the Church of the Assumption Tullamore after all masses on the weekend of December 18, 2021.

Parish worker Annette Evans said usually all of the money raised is divided to help fund their own retreat and a local charity.

However, she said that this year in the light of the brutal murder of school teacher Ashling Murphy and the fact that there is a 'Rainbows Centre,' which is a charity that helps children deal with significant loss in their lives, in Durrow National School where Ashling taught, the JPPC decided to donate the full amount and add money they had set aside for this year’s retreat to the school which is still mourning the death of Ashling.

On behalf of the JPPC, Chairperson Sian Evans presented a cheque for €1,000 to Principal Mr James Hogan.

Ashling Murphy was a teacher in the school and was murdered while she exercised on the Grand Canal in Tullamore last month.