A poignant candlelit vigil has been held in Armagh this evening to remember the the 30 women killed by male violence in Northern Ireland since 2020.
The event, organised by End Violence Against Women and Girls Armagh, took place on Market Street on Friday and was attended by family members of Natalie McNally, the 32-year-old pregnant woman murdered in her Lurgan home in December 2022.
Her killer was sentenced to life in prison earlier this week – with a minimum tariff to given at a later date.
The vigil came on the back of the murders of Amy Doherty, who was buried this week, and Ellie Flanagan earlier this month.
Before the candles were lit, a short address was given to those gathered, reflecting the shared grief and anger felt by many.
“Tonight, we stand here together in quiet light and shared grief,” the speaker began.
“We gather for Amy Doherty, Ellie Flanagan and for the 28 other women whose lives were taken far too soon. Each flame we hold is a reminder: they were here, they were loved, and they mattered.
“They were daughters, sisters, mothers, friends and colleagues. Their laughter filled rooms. There are words left to describe this violence.
“We should not be here like this. We should not have to gather, again and again, to mourn women whose lives were stolen. And yet, here we are. Again.
“So tonight, we remember them not as numbers, but as lives. We honour them with our presence, our grief, and our refusal to forget.
“Let these candles be more than symbols of loss. Let them be a promise that we will stand together, that we will speak out, and that we will not accept a world where women are not safe.
“We are now going to read each name and ask that after we take a moment of silence for Amy, and for every woman we have lost.”
Following the speech, the names of each woman were read aloud, and those present stood together in a moment’s silence.
Organisers said the vigil was both an act of remembrance and a renewed call for action to end violence against women and girls in Armagh and beyond.
