Anniversaries are something that Sasha & Venetia have spoken about on several episodes of the podcasts so far. They can spark a huge range of emotion, and often bring back a lot of sad and difficult memories. Some like to mark an occasion, while others are happy to see the back of these milestone dates. Often the way someone chooses to remember their loved one is dependant on their years or months grieving in between, and what form of relationship that is kept with the deceased. 

This week on Grief Encounters, Sasha chats with an old friend of her’s Ollie Skehan, as he approaches the 20th anniversary of his friend’s tragic death this Sunday, October 27th. In October 1999, Niamh O’Herlihy was travelling in a car with her sister Anita, a close friend of theirs and her one-year-old daughter, when they were involved in a tragic, and fatal car accident that shocked the country to its core. 

Niamh and Anita were members of an extremely promising girl-band called Nivita, that were making moves in the record industry right before the accident. Ollie and Niamh met in during their time studying together in Griffith College and immediately became close companions after enrolling. In the interview, Ollie casts his mind back to the days before and after the accident, and the vividness of it is clear to see. With Ollie’s accounts of those days, it is clear to see how much the world has changed in those 20 years, particularly in the ways we find out about the loss of a loved one. 

He also speaks about his relationship with the O’Herlihy family and how keeping in touch with Niamh’s parents allows him to still have a relationship with Niamh herself. We were delighted to be approached by Ollie to record this beautiful episode as his own testament to his loving friendship with Niamh, his poignant way of marking the 20 year anniversary. 

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Music by: Nctrnm

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