'We will forever cherish her' - Family of Gillian Curran share heartfelt statement
The late Gillian Curran was murdered by her partner Marcus O'Neill.
On Thursday afternoon July 30, Marcus O'Neill was found guilty of murdering Gillian Curran.
She died in his home on 15 O'Brien Street, Waterford City in January 2025 after suffering multiple blunt force trauma injuries. O'Neill denied having any involvement in her death and the case went to trial at Waterford Central Criminal Court in July 2026.
Now that he has been found guilty via a majority verdict, Gillian's family have released the following statement:
"On behalf of Gillian’s family, I would like to make a brief statement about Gillian who was brutally taken away from her family and friends at the age of 47.
From the hundreds of heartfelt condolences we received since her death, it is clear that Gillian was much loved by her friends and colleagues. Her siblings and our extended family will never forget her, and will miss her dearly.
Gillian, like many vulnerable women across Ireland, did not deserve her violent end. As a family, we did not deserve to be dragged through the awful details of her death because of the cowardly not-guilty plea of her brutal, callous killer.
We are very relieved that the jury has found the defendant guilty, and we thank them for their duty and commitment in this matter. We also thank profusely the Waterford Gardai and the DPP who fought so hard so hard for justice for Gillian.
The Gardai been so kind to the family, and treated us with such respect and dignity throughout the process.
The past 18 months and in particular the last month have been harrowing for our family, and we thank all who have supported us throughout this period; it is much appreciated.
We are not the first family to have to confront the effects of domestic violence, and we encourage people to support the work of organisations such as Women’s Aid, who are doing a brilliant job highlighting the issue and providing such important services to combat this scourge to our society.
We will always remember Gillian with love and are happy that Justice has been served."
