Memorial for Lurgan woman at Everton stadium

The brother of a woman who was killed in Lurgan has described seeing a memorial stone to her at the stadium for Everton Football Club as “extremely emotional”.

Natalie McNally was 15 weeks pregnant when she was killed in her home in December 2022.

A man has appeared in court charged with Natalie’s murder. He denies the charges.

Her brothers Declan and Niall McNally and her father Noel visited the new stadium on Sunday and saw the tribute to Natalie who was an Everton fan.

“It was just lovely seeing it there and knowing that it’s going to be there for hopefully a very long time, long after we’re gone,” he said.

The team won its first Premier League game on Sunday in its new home at the Hill Dickinson Stadium against Brighton.

Mr McNally said his sister was a big supporter of the team and enjoyed watching matches.

“Natalie loved it, and she loved the craic, she went over to the matches with us, loved even every time Everton played on the TV.”

He said “it’s brilliant” what the club has “done for us”.

“When Natalie was killed they out her picture up on the big screen at Goodison, then Everton actually brought us over for a match, put us up in a hotel in Liverpool and after the match we met Séamus Coleman on the pitch afterwards and he couldn’t have been nicer and the club couldn’t have been nicer.”

He said when the club started advertising memorial stones, his family “knew straight away that we wanted to put a tribute to Natalie there”.

“Actually seeing it there in front of you was very emotional,” he said.

“I think it’s a fantastic idea and for us just to have Natalie’s name there at the Stadium, it’ll be there forever.

“It’s brilliant and every time we go over, that’s the first place we’ll head to.”