On todays episode of family flowers only I speak to Amy wall Amy lives in county Clare she is a mom to 3 children with 1 on the way and wife to Vinnie In March 2017, 11 weeks after their second child Mannix was born, Amy’s world was turned upside down when her husband Vinnie and her 3 year old daughter Estlin were involved in a serious collision whilst they were driving to Creche. What followed is what I could only describe as a living nightmare. Amy talks so openly and honestly with me about the dark reality of child loss, how she gets through each day knowing another human is responsible for this and how she has found a way to cope with the darkness. Amy will give so much hope to people who are struggling today. I hope you enjoy our chat. T.W In this episode we discuss childloss, suicidal thoughts, death and grief. Supports: https://anamcara.ie/ Supporting bereaved parents If you are in crisis Call 116 123 - Samaritans - or visit https://www.pieta.ie/ If you found this episode helpful please don't forget to follow on here, rate subscribe and share it with your friends. You can find out more about Kathie on Instagram @griefireland and Tiktok @familyflowersonly For more information on Grief Retreats visit www.griefireland.com

On todays episode of Family flowers only I talk to Thomas Kiely, husband to Angela and dad of Thomas J. Thomas and Angela were childhood sweethearts meeting in 4th class in school, and in Sept 2015 their world changed forever when Angela was diagnosed with Inflammatory Breast Cancer. Angela had a long road and fought hard against the disease but sadly passed away in 2019. Thomas spoke to me so honestly about his own personal Grief and loss. We spoke about Cancer, his own mental health from breakdown to asking for help, what its like being a single dad to a grieving child, what he does to help him find joy in life and how important it is to talk. This is an important and heartfelt conversation and I hope you enjoy it. If you enjoyed this podcast please don’t forget to Subscribe or rate the show and share it with your friends and I will speak to you next time. You can follow Kathie on Instagram @griefireland and TikTok @Familyflowersonly To find out more about Grief Retreats visit www.griefireland.com

On todays episode of Family flowers only I talk to Louise Leye. Louise is from Galway and is mom to 3 beautiful kids, 2 are here with her and one lives in Heaven, her beautiful little girl Sadbh sadly was born sleeping. We spoke all about the stigma around stillbirth, the wonderful care and compassion her family received as they journeyed home to Ireland to lay Sadbh to rest and why its so important to Louise to speak her little girls name. This is something that’s not often discussed out loud and is such an important conversation to have. It is of course such a heartbreaking story like many others and I hope you enjoy our conversation. (Please be mindful we discuss difficult topics such as stillbirth, death, and childloss) If you enjoyed this podcast please don’t forget to Subscribe or follow rate and share it with your friends and I will speak to you next time You can find Kathie on Instagram and tiktok @griefireland For more information on Grief Retreats visit www.griefireland.com

On todays episode of Family flowers only I talk to Susan Moylan. Susan is a counsellor and CEO of the Stephen Moylan Foundation. In 2003 Susan was on holidays with her husband Sean and their children when Sean tragically died in his sleep with a virus in the brain at the age of 43. Sadly the tragedy didn’t end there when Susans beloved son Stephen died tragically in Spain at the young age of 30. We spoke about the nightmare of loosing a loved one abroad, the horrific moment when a mother looses her child, the huge effect loss has on a family and how her family now work to “mind the kids’ through their inspiring work through their foundation. (Please be mindful we discuss difficult topics such as child loss, death) You can find out more on the work Susan does at www.thestephenmoylanfoundation.com Socials @ The Stephen Moylan Foundation. You can follow Kathie on Instagram @griefireland and TikTok @Familyflowersonly For more information on Grief Retreats visit www.griefireland.com If you enjoyed this podcast please don’t forget to Subscribe or follow rate and share it with your friends and I will speak to you next time

On todays episode of Family Flowers Only I talk to Alison Finnegan, wife of the late Anthony Anto Finnegan, beloved former Antrim GAA footballer and Captain. In 2012 Anto was diagnosed with Motor Neurone disease , a disease he bore with great courage strength and bravery. Along with his family he worked tirelessly to raise awareness and funds of MND. Anto sadly passed away in 2021 at the age of 48. Alison and I spoke about the shock of diagnosis, the daily losses that come with MND, the devastation of having no treatments available to help with MND and how she feels Anto is always with her. (Please be mindful we discuss difficult topics such as terminal illness, mental health, death) You can find Alison on Instagram @wander_lust_xox and on their website www.determnd.com You can follow Kathie on Instagram @griefireland For more information on Grief Retreats visit www.griefireland.com If you enjoyed this podcast please don’t forget to Subscribe Follow and Rate and Share it with your friends and I will speak to you next time

On todays episode of Family flowers only I talk to Peter Mahony, a therapist specialising in Grief in his own practice called by your side therapy. In May 2019 Peters world was rocked when he received a phone call to tell him his brother Andrew Mahony, a popular talented musician and Voice of Ireland star, had died by suicide. We spoke about what led up to that point, the endless questions after, the coroners court, how his family found meaning since loosing Andrew and the gift of therapy. This is an important conversation and one that I hope you will take with you. (Please be mindful we discuss difficult topics such as suicide, mental health, death) You can follow Peter on Instagram and FB @by_your_side_therapy and on his website www.byyoursidetherapy.com If you enjoyed this podcast please don’t forget to Subscribe rate and share it with your friends and I will speak to you next time. You can follow Kathie @griefireland For more information on Grief Retreats visit www.griefireland.com

On todays episode of "Family Flowers Only" I talk to Corinna Tolan. Corrina in her professional life is a skin expert and is at the helm of one of the most successful skincare practices in the country called Monica Tolan Beauty, she’s also a mum to 2 girls and the host of a successful podcast - "Skin Deep" Today we discussed her experience of Grief, loosing both of her parents, Francis and Monica, and how being there with them as they passed from this world was a gift she treasures. Her perception of grief is so insightful and incredibly valuable I’m sure you will be as blown away and moved as I was. I hope you enjoy our conversation. Notes: We discuss Death, Dying, Afterlife Follow Corinna on Instagram @Corrina_monicatolanbeauty Follow Kathie on Instagram @Griefireland For more information on Grief Retreats visit www.griefireland.com If you enjoyed this podcast please don’t forget to rate and share it with your friends and I will speak to you next time

On todays episode of "Family Flowers Only" I talk to Sinead Kavanagh better known as “The Beaut Truth’ online. A busy working mom Sinead spoke to me about loosing her beloved Dad Dessie from Brain Cancer. I got a real feel for how special their relationship was and the character Dessie was. We spoke about how difficult it was to navigate supporting her dad during his illness and particularly during lockdown and Covid times. We also spoke of the incredible work that the hospice do. This is a heartfelt and raw conversation about the reality of love and loss and I hope that you will enjoy our conversation. Notes - We discuss Brain Cancer, Death, Dying, Grief. Follow Sinead on Instagram @thebeauttruth Follow Kathie on Instagram @griefireland For more information on Grief Retreats visit www.griefireland.com

Introducing Family Flowers Only -A podcast by Grief Ireland

Welcome to "Family Flowers Only" , a podcast by Grief Ireland about all things Grief, Love and Loss hosted by Kathie Stritch. A place to normalise grief, educate and have space. A place to remember, to share, to be heard, and to feel safe. In this episode host Kathie of Grief Ireland gives you a little background into why she set this podcast up, and her own personal story of Grief and Loss. Check out our Spotify Playlist 'Grief Ireland' - A playlist of songs from our community that was a loved ones favourite song, played at their funeral, or just reminds them in some way of them. Its so lovely to listen and think about who that person might have been.