Vigil to be held for Portlaoise murder victim

Olivia Kelleher

A vigil is to be held next week for Adina Raluca Constantin who was found dead at a property in Church Street in Portlaoise in Co Laois earlier this month.

Emergency services and gardaí attended at the scene at 12.30pm on July 5th.

The State Pathologist was notified and a postmortem was carried out.

The husband of the deceased Eugen Constantin (72) appeared before Portlaoise District Court last Tuesday charged with the murder of his wife at their home.

He was remanded in custody to Cloverhill Prison to appear before the court again on July 17th next by video link.

A vigil for the 55-year-old Romanian national is scheduled to take place in the Memorial Garden, Ridge Road, in Portlaoise on Friday, July 17th at 6pm.

Adina’s sister Dana Baciu will address the event, assisted by a translator,

Vigil co-organiser Niamh Ní Riain told Midlands 103FM that the organisation of the event came together very quickly

“We got in contact with other people who had spoken about having some kind of vigil. We all exchanged numbers and we came together.

"We have Adina’s sister (Dana) and her best friend (Adriana) attending. We want to sit down with her family members (to show) some level of respect and to say the community is behind you and supporting you.”

Adina worked at a denture repair practice on the same street where she lived.

She was described by locals as a “quiet” lady who was “always pleasant, always smiling.”

Meanwhile, a family member of the deceased, Ioan Olimpiu, has set up a GoFundMe page to pay for the repatriation of the body to Romania.

In a post on the page, Olimpiu spoke of the difficulties of finding the funds required to bring the body home for burial.

“During this incredibly difficult time, we are facing significant financial challenges in covering the costs of her funeral and repatriation.

"We want to give Adina the dignified farewell she deserves and bring her home to rest with her loved ones. Any contribution, no matter how small, will help ease the financial burden on our family and will be deeply appreciated.

"If you are unable to donate, we would be grateful if you could share this fundraiser with others. Thank you for your kindness, generosity, and support during this heartbreaking time.”

Donations can be made to the fund here.