'It is terrifying' - Offaly boxer Grainne Walsh hasn't run on canal since Ashling Murphy murder

National champion boxer Grainne Walsh outlined to national TV show Upfront with Katie Hannon that she hasn't gone for a run along the canal, near where she lives, since the murder of Ashling Murphy, saying it is terrifying to think that someone can be murdered while out exercising. 

The vastly experienced international boxer recently won the welterweight 66kg division at the IABA National Elite Boxing Championships in the National Stadium.

Presenter Katie Hannon said the impact of violence against women is much wider than those directly affected and undermines our sense of security, "and particularly in the wake of Ashling Murphy's murder, makes some people feel that nowhere is safe". 

Grainne outlined the impact it had in Tullamore and beyond. "Obviously Ashling's death had a big impact on people, all around the world, not just in Ireland. Coming from Tullamore, and being so close to the canal line, it was a running route I have done many times, but since then I haven't done it once," Grainne said. 

"It just shows that Ashling took every precaution that day and still it wasn't enough for her to save her life. It really is terrifying, and it is shocking to think that women have to think of all these things that often times men don't have to think of, or have to consider when they leave the house, in terms of exercise. Exercise is something that we should be able to enjoy, not fear that we could be murdered. You might think it's one in a million, but it's too often," Grainne said. 

Katie noted that Grainne had set up a self-defence class after that terrible incident for women in Tullamore. 

"It wasn't necessarily a self-defence class," Grainne said. "I just used my profile as a boxer. Because it's a contact sport people saw it more as a self-defence thing but for me it was more about getting women together in groups. We actually raised money for Offaly Against Domestic Violence. It was basically about encouraging women to get together and exercise in groups. 

"Obviously, Ashling was exercising alone that day. And if someone is watching, they will target a person who is alone. My thought process behind it was to buddy up, and get together. Exercise should be enjoyable and we got a good few people together in the park, and we had a great day, that day," she said. 

Katie Hannon put it to Grainne that she must feel quite secure in herself, as a boxer.

"Yeah, people have said that to me. Only recently people have been saying 'you would have been Ok if that happened to you'. But I don't agree with that statement at all. I think, even if you have headphones in and someone tips you, you get startled. So I think if you are walking along minding your own business, and someone wants to attack you, and has a knife, you don't have any chance, whether you are world champion or whether you are just someone walking down the canal line, like Ashling was," the Offaly boxer said. 

The programme aired earlier this week aimed to start a conversation about the murder of Ashling Murphy and the wider issue of violence against women in Irish society. 

You can view the full episode on the RTÉ Player here