A candlelight vigil will take place in Armagh City this week to honour and remember victims and survivors of domestic abuse.
The event — organised as part of Domestic Abuse Awareness Week 2025 — is being driven by Sinn Féin Councillor Sarah Duffy, who is encouraging members of the public to attend and show solidarity.
The vigil will be held on Thursday, October 23 at 7pm at The Mall (Courthouse side), with candles provided.
Councillor Duffy said the event would be a “quiet, respectful opportunity” to reflect, remember, and reinforce the urgent need for action to end violence in all its forms — particularly against women and children.
“Too many lives are cruelly taken,” she said. “Domestic abuse is not just an issue behind closed doors — it is a public crisis rooted in misogyny, coercive control, and a culture that must be challenged at every level.
“This is why we need a whole-of-society response — from government to grassroots — to end the silence, support survivors, and change the systems and attitudes that allow abuse to continue.”
Councillor Duffy also praised the ongoing work to address violence against women and children, highlighting the Executive’s framework led by First Minister Michelle O’Neill, but stressed that everyone has a role to play.
“Sinn Féin is leading the charge to end violence against women and children — working alongside agencies and communities to deliver real change. But this cannot be done by government alone. Everyone has a part to play in creating a society where home truly means safe,” she added.
The public are invited to attend the vigil “as a statement of solidarity and commitment to ending domestic abuse.”
