A NEW memorial garden in Mayo includes a dedication to Valerie French from Leap who was murdered by her husband.

The 41-year-old was killed in June 2019 at the hands of her husband James Kilroy at their home in Westport.

The occupational therapist and mum-of-three’s murder shocked both Mayo and West Cork communities who knew her warmth, creativity, and kindness.

Valerie loved music, festivals, storytelling, art, crafts, nature, gardening and animals.

Safe Ireland Mayo recently opened a poignant Butterfly Memorial Garden to honour the 277 women killed by femicide in Ireland since 1996.

Two chairs now bear dedicated inscriptions: ‘For Valerie French, a kind, vibrant, creative young woman who lived life to the full. Sit and talk a while.’ and ‘You are not alone, we believe you, we are here for you.’

The chairs, donated by Valerie’s friends, invite visitors to pause and reflect as symbols of comfort for women and families healing from trauma.

Valerie’s brother David, who attended the opening of the garden, said he was moved by the ceremony.

‘On the day poems and memories were read out and they placed lilies into a lake. Each lily was dedicated to one of the women who were killed. One of them was for Valerie,’ he told The Southern Star.
David is leading a campaign to amend Irish law to ensure that femicide victims are not forced to leave their estates to their killers.

Under the current legislation, based on the Forfeiture Act 1982, killers can still inherit from victims unless a court explicitly applies the forfeiture rule, not automatic in all cases.

David has now taken a compensation battle on behalf of Valerie’s children to the High Court against James Kilroy, who was jailed for life in July 2024 following his murder conviction.

Among other things, Kilroy wants a motorbike to be included in what he believes is his right to the estate. David said: ‘It’s daft and he’s just creating more trauma when he’s already created so much of it.’

The French family have also been calling for the introduction of Valerie’s Law, ensuring that child guardianship is removed from killers. 

Despite his murder conviction, James Kilroy keeps guardianship of Valerie’s and his three children.

In an open letter to the Taoiseach, David pleaded alongside other bereaved family members of victims: ‘We know from experience that the impact of domestic homicide on bereaved families is lifelong, a grief and pain that can never be taken away. The impact on children who have their mothers or fathers taken from them by killers is unimaginable. Yet even after the death, the ability of the killer to inflict pain isn’t stopped. Unbelievably, if a father kills a mother, parental responsibility stays with that killer.’

David, who published a book dedicated to his sister last year, said: ‘Domestic homicide is the sharp end of domestic abuse. Valerie’s Law is only one part of the multiple legislative updates required to address this.’

The fight for Valerie’s Law has seen a number of successes to date. Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns TD launched a private member’s Bill in July 2024.

Since then Valerie’s Law joined the programme for Government, winning the Cabinet nod in April.

The Oireachtas Committee scrutinised the bill in July, and a report on it was issued in September with a December update from Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan that drafting advances as a session priority.

Valerie’s family have said they are grateful for the support in West Cork, including from local TDs Michael Collins (Ind) and Christopher O’Sullivan (FF), as well as from EU Justice Commissioner Michael McGrath.

The family is hopeful for the Bill’s Dáil debut in 2026.