Family Flowers Only by Grief Ireland

This week on Family Flowers Only, I’ve partnered with the Road Safety Authority to highlight the dangers of drink driving.

My guest is Laura Hynes who shares her heartbreaking story of being in a car crash caused by a driver under the influence of alcohol and drugs. Four people were in that car and two lost their lives including Laura’s boyfriend Brendan.

Laura speaks with honesty about the devastation of that night, the grief that followed, and the lasting impact of losing Brendan in such a sudden and preventable way. It’s a powerful reminder of the lives shattered by drink driving, and why these conversations matter.

For more information on the Road Safety Authority please visit https://www.rsa.ie/

For more information on THE GRIEF WORKSHOP please visit www.griefireland.com

This week I sit down with Abaigéal Warfield who shares her moving story of love and loss from a very young age. Abaigéal never knew her father growing up but when she reconnected with him at 16 they built a beautiful relationship. After that she experienced a truly deep loss when her mum Sinead died by suicide while still in her 40s. And sadly in time Abaigéal would also loose her dad Gerry to cancer also.

She speaks honestly about the impact of grief in its many forms, how it has shaped her life, and the different ways loss can be carried. Abaigéal also shares some of her own poetry, powerful words that bring comfort, honesty, and connection for anyone navigating grief.

You can find Abaigéal on Instagram @poetry_by_abaigeal and you can also buy her poetry book directly from this link here https://abaigeal-warfield.sumupstore.com/product/sea-of-grief-booklet

Visit www.griefireland.com for more information on upcoming Grief Retreats

This week, I sit down with PJ Haverty, who shares his powerful story of being born in the Mother and Baby Home in Tuam in the 1950s. PJ’s mother was sent there after becoming pregnant out of wedlock, and despite coming back every week for over five years, the nuns refused to return her little boy to her.

Fostered out, PJ grew up carrying the loss of his mother, a wound that shaped his life. In time he began to search for his birth mother but alongside the love he had for her came anger and grief for what had been stolen from them both.

This conversation shines a light on the deep impact of the Mother and Baby Homes, and on PJ’s journey of loss, love, and survival.

*Very brief mention of abuse

For more information on Grief Retreats visit www.griefireland.com

This week on Family Flowers Only , I sit down with Helen Groarke . Helen speaks so openly about the devastating loss of her mum Ada to COPD, a woman she described as her best friend. Just two weeks later, her dad Phelim who had lived with bipolar all his life attempted to take his own life. Helen also shares the challenges that followed, from her son being diagnosed with an autoimmune condition to experiencing miscarriage. Through it all, she has carried immense strength, honesty, and love. Thank you to this episodes supporters Feeling stuck in your body? Grief can weigh heavily on us physically as well as emotionally. If you’re ready to try gentle movement from home Ecofitness by Korina Duffy is offering listeners a 30-day free trial. Move at your own pace, in your own space, even in your pyjamas. 💚 Sign up here: ⁠⁠⁠https://coach.everfit.io/package/QJ743362⁠⁠⁠ 🎙️ This episode was brought to you and recorded at GK Media Studio. They also offer a beautiful Legacy Package where you can record your own personal or family podcast, capture memories with a loved one, or tell your story in your own words.They can even travel to you. 📼 Learn more here: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.gkmedia.ie/legacy⁠⁠⁠ For more information on Grief Retreats visit ⁠⁠⁠www.griefireland.com⁠⁠⁠

This week, I sit down with 17-year-old Niamh Ruane a remarkable young woman whose wisdom and honesty left me in awe. At just 15, Niamh lost her dad to pancreatic cancer, nine months after his diagnosis. Less than 10 months later, her younger sister Roisin was diagnosed with cancer too. As her mum had to care for her sister in Crumlin Hospital Dublin , Niamh had to stay at home with her younger brother, navigating grief, loneliness, and the absence of both parents in the house. She speaks so openly about saying goodbye to her dad, the silence that follows, and the way loss changes everything, especially for someone so young. This conversation is raw, moving, and will resonate deeply with anyone who has ever felt the weight of grief at a young age. You can find Niamh on Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/niamhruane89?igsh=cXBxMHgwZnRyY3J3 Thank you to this episodes supporters Feeling stuck in your body? Grief can weigh heavily on us physically as well as emotionally. If you’re ready to try gentle movement from home Ecofitness by Korina Duffy is offering listeners a 30-day free trial. Move at your own pace, in your own space, even in your pyjamas. 💚 Sign up here: ⁠⁠https://coach.everfit.io/package/QJ743362⁠⁠ 🎙️ This episode was brought to you and recorded at GK Media Studio. They also offer a beautiful Legacy Package where you can record your own personal or family podcast, capture memories with a loved one, or tell your story in your own words.They can even travel to you. 📼 Learn more here: ⁠⁠https://www.gkmedia.ie/legacy⁠⁠ For more information on Grief Retreats visit ⁠⁠www.griefireland.com⁠⁠

This week, I sat down with Dermot Joyce , who shared the deeply moving story of loosing his wife Audrey to cancer. Dermot speaks so honestly about walking the cancer journey by her side, the fear, the fight, and the heartbreak. He opens up about their son Jack , who was just 8 at the time, and the pain of helping him understand what was happening to his mum and how that honesty has helped Jack to be so open in turn. A raw, emotional, and truly honest conversation from an ordinary man going through something no family should have to face.

Thank you to this episodes supporters Feeling stuck in your body? Grief can weigh heavily on us physically as well as emotionally. If you're ready to try gentle movement from home Ecofitness by Korina Duffy is offering listeners a 30-day free trial. Move at your own pace, in your own space, even in your pyjamas. 💚 Sign up here: ⁠https://coach.everfit.io/package/QJ743362⁠ 🎙️ This episode was brought to you and recorded at GK Media Studio. They also offer a beautiful Legacy Package where you can record your own personal or family podcast, capture memories with a loved one, or tell your story in your own words.They can even travel to you. 📼 Learn more here: ⁠https://www.gkmedia.ie/legacy⁠ For more information on Grief Retreats visit ⁠www.griefireland.com⁠

This week, I sat down with Chris O’Connor , who shared the heartbreaking loss of his dad, James O'Connor who died while attempting to summit Mount Kilimanjaro on the morning of his 40th birthday. Chris is just 17, still in school, but speaks with a depth and honesty that left me completely in awe of him. He talks about the pressure to stay strong, the anger that built up in the aftermath, and how healing it’s been to finally open up and speak about his grief. He also shares the deep love he has for his dad, the man who introduced him to running, supported him through everything, and shaped so much of who he is today. This is a powerful and moving conversation about love, loss, and the strength it takes to keep going. One you should get your teenagers to listen to and one we can all learn so much from ourselves. You can follow Chris' journey on Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@chrisoconn And Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christopher.oconn?igsh=MW93cGJkdmlvaGNtdQ== Feeling stuck in your body? Grief can weigh heavily on us physically as well as emotionally. If you’re ready to try gentle movement from home Ecofitness by Korina Duffy is offering listeners a 30-day free trial. Move at your own pace, in your own space, even in your pyjamas.

üíö Sign up here: https://coach.everfit.io/package/QJ743362

🎙️ This episode was recorded at GK Media Studio. They also offer a beautiful Legacy Package where you can record your own personal or family podcast, capture memories with a loved one, or tell your story in your own words. They can even travel to you.

📼 Learn more here: https://www.gkmedia.ie/legacy For more information on Grief Retreats visit www.griefireland.com

This week, I sit down with Ann Higgins , a woman who has known profound love and deep loss throughout her life. Anne shares her journey from losing her brother and mother, to the heartbreak of miscarriage and failed IVF. But at the heart of her story is the incredible bond she formed with a young boy in her class while working as a teacher. He was living in residential care, and Anne and her husband felt an instant connection. What followed was a long and difficult road to foster and eventually care for him permanently, becoming a family in every sense of the word. Their story captured the hearts of the nation when they appeared on Room to Improve , but tragedy struck again when he suffered a traumatic injury and passed away. Ann speaks with honesty, warmth, and strength about grief, motherhood, and what it means to give your whole heart to someone, no matter how long you get to love them. For more information about Grief Retreats visit ⁠ www.griefireland.com ⁠ For more information on recording your own personal podcast as a keepsake for family friends etc contact GK MEDIA on Instagram or here ⁠ https://www.gkmedia.ie/legacy

This week, I sat down with Laura Cra ine , the founder of With Love and Dreams, a beautiful creative business that helps people honour their loved ones through memorial jewellery and flower preservation. Laura is a resin artist who works with cremated remains, funeral flowers, and other deeply personal items to create meaningful keepsakes for those who are grieving. Laura also shares her own story of loss, having experienced the death of 3 of her grandparents within six months. She speaks especially about the bond she shared with her granddad, Harry, and how his passing shaped her understanding of grief and deepened her empathy for the people she now supports through her work. It’s a conversation about memory, legacy, and the creative ways we carry love forward. This episode is kindly brought to you by GK Media. For more information on their legacy video and podcast service please visit them here https://www.gkmedia.ie/legacy For more information on Grief Retreats visit www.griefireland.com You can find Laura @with love and dreams

This week, I sit down with Orla Clancy , who shares the story of losing both of her parents, her mum Christina and her dad Noel. Orla was just 13 when her mother died suddenly, a loss that shaped her teenage years. In the years that followed, her relationship with her dad grew incredibly strong as he raised her through life’s hardest and most formative moments. Then, at just 29, Orla faced another devastating loss when her dad became unwell and passed away from cancer. This is a story of grief, love, and the deep bond between a daughter and her parents especially the connection that forms when a parent becomes your whole world. For more information about Grief Retreats visit www.griefireland.com For more information on recording your own personal podcast as a keepsake for family friends etc contact GK MEDIA on Instagram or here https://www.gkmedia.ie/legacy