Ashling Murphy’s boyfriend calls her his ‘soulmate’ in emotional tribute one year on

The 23-year-old school teacher was attacked in broad daylight while jogging on the banks of the Grand Canal in Tullamore, Co. Offaly last January 12.

Her boyfriend Ryan posted an emotional tribute to his “soulmate” last night, sharing a heart-breaking message to remember his girlfriend.

"Time can move at a pace which can be impossible to comprehend but one thing for sure is no matter how fast time may pass, there isn’t a single second that goes by where my heart doesn’t ache for you,” he said.

"There’s a saying that goes...“You don’t know what you have until you lose it”…but the reality is, we both knew exactly what we had, exactly what we wanted, it’s just we never thought we’d lose it.

"You are the one who has made me the person I am today, the only reason I get out of bed every morning, the only reason I got through graduation, the only reason I’ve continued on and started my working career.

"Everything I have done and everything that I do is completely for you,” he wrote.

"I Love and miss you so much Ash. Forever my soulmate.”

His tribute was shared by the Ashling Murphy Memorial Fund, set up by family and friends this week “to fulfil the strong legacy left by Ashling, even in her short life.”

The fundraiser launched on the anniversary of her death, describing the young 23-year-old as “breath-takingly talented” and “a beautiful, caring, loving, compassionate and warm-hearted person.”

A memorial mass will take place this evening to mark the first anniversary of her death.

Her family have requested privacy as they are “continuing to grieve the heavy loss of Ashling every day,” they said in a recent statement.

They have decided not to engage in any interviews with the media for the moment.