Family Flowers Only by Grief Ireland

This week, on a very special Mother’s Day episode, I sit down with Nicola McGuire as she shares the story of her incredible parents, Pam and Vinny. Both were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, and as their only child, Nicola devoted her life to caring for them. She speaks about the deep love between her parents, the heartbreak of watching her mom fade away, and the anticipatory grief she now carries for her dad. It’s a conversation about love, loss, and the unbreakable bond between a mother and child. And as always, if you find this episode helpful, please consider following the podcast, sharing it on social media, or sending it to someone who might need to hear it. For more support visit https://alzheimer.ie/ For Tickets to our Grief and Wellness Retreats please visit www.griefireland.com Follow us on Instagram @griefireland And Tiktok @Familyflowersonly

Disclaimer: The views and experiences shared in this episode are those of the guest. Any opinions expressed are personal and do not represent the views of this podcast. Listener discretion is advised. In this episode, I speak with Joe Loughnane from Galway about the heartbreaking loss of his brother, Adam Loughnane, who died by suicide just weeks ago. Joe shares Adam’s story, years of trauma, the weight of a pending court case, and his desperate attempts to seek help in the hours before his death. His powerful words shed light on the impact of abuse, the failings of the mental health system, and the need for real change. If you are struggling, you are not alone. Support is available: Pieta House – 1800 247 247 / Text HELP to 51444 Samaritans Ireland – 116 123 (24/7 free helpline) Aware (for depression & anxiety) – 1800 80 48 48 Your Mental Health (HSE Support) – Call 50808 or visit yourmentalhealth.ie Please reach out if you need help.

In this episode, I sit down with my good friend Maeve Dennehy, the heart behind Love Cherish and this season’s sponsor. Maeve shares the story of losing her beloved sister Karen and 5 years later, her mother Maeve both to cancer. She talks about the incredible care they received at Marymount Hospice, the heartbreak of those losses, and how she keeps their memory alive with her children. Maeve’s story is full of love, loss, and the moments that remind us what really matters. It’s an open and honest conversation about grief, but also about finding strength in the people we’ve loved and lost. This episode is brought to you by Love Cherish . Show your support at lovecherish.com and follow @lovecherishboutique. Use the code FLOWERS10 for a discount at checkout! Visit griefireland.com for more information and tickets for our Grief Retreats

On todays episode of Family Flowers Only I spoke to Sophia Murphy Sophia is a recently qualified PT and a mom from Galway TW. Please be advised that this episode contains conversations of childhood sexual abuse and is often times upsetting. See below for helpline advice Sophias story of loss begins in childhood when heartbreakingly, as a baby her father began abusing her. She endured many years of absolute hell and torture until the abuse came to an end at the age of 16 when another victim came forward and he was eventually jailed for his horrific crimes. We spoke about so much from the abuse, to the courts, her battle with addiction, loosing her beloved sister Steph to addiction and fighting her way forward to build a life little Sophia would be proud of and deserves. If you have been affected by this episode please call the RAPE CRISIS CENTRE ON 1800 77 8888 You can find Sophia on TikTok @sophiamurphy980 And on Instagram @sophfit7 You can follow Kathie On Instagram @griefireland On TikTok @familyflowersonly For more information on Grief Retreats visit www.griefireland.com

On todays episode of Family Flowers Only I spoke to Mary McHugh. Mary is a psychotherapist with over 25 years experience and the owner of www.counsellingonline.ie We sat down and spoke about her own experiences of loss, one being the breakdown of her marriage when she was pregnant with her third child. We also answered all of your questions that you sent in, from how to cope with guilt, feeling numb, how to know if therapy is right for you and the feeling of not wanting to be here anymore. I adore Mary she has such a calm warming presence and I hope you enjoy our conversation You can follow Kathie On Instagram @griefireland On TikTok @familyflowersonly For more information on Grief Retreats visit www.griefireland.com

On todays episode of family flowers only I speak to Kathleen Chada Kathleen is from Carlow, she is a nurse and mom to Eoghan and RuairÍ. She is a campaigner for real justice and author of the book “Everything” Please be aware the following details some listeners might find upsetting and in this episode we discuss murder, suicide ideation, death and loss. On July 29, 2013, Kathleen’s former husband Sanjeev Chada murdered their sons, Eoghan (10) and Ruairí (5), and later attempted to take his own life. He killed the boys in Ballintubber, Co Mayo, and their bodies were found in the boot of his car which he had crashed near Westport in an attempt to take his own life. He pleaded guilty in court and was handed two life sentences to run concurrently. Kathleen has often spoke publicly about what happenedand the justice side of things but I wanted to give her the opportunity to focus on the boys, who they were and what they were like, and about her own personal experiences through Grief and loss. She is such an impressive woman who gave so much wisdom and many insights into how she copes since her horrific loss. I hope this episode is helpful to you and that you enjoy our chat . If you enjoyed this episode please don’t forget to hit the follow button here and rate on the channel, tell a friend and I will talk to you next time. You can follow Kathie On Instagram @griefireland On TikTok @familyflowersonly For more information on Grief Retreats visit www.griefireland.com

On todays episode of family flowers only I speak to Claire Walsh Claire is from Kildare, she is a freediver, year-round sea swimmer and teacher of breathwork courses. She is also author of her book "UNDERWATER" She lives in Dublin with her husband Boudy. Having both discussed early on in their relationship their desire to expand their family by having children they had plenty of dreams and hopes for the future. Unfortunately getting pregnant isn’t simple or a given and like thousands of others Claire sadly has navigated the living grief and loss that comes with subfertility commonly known as infertility and the challenges of IVF. We spoke about searching for a space to fit in to grieve the losses that she feels, about the IVF process and the uncertainty for the future I hope this episode is helpful to you and that you enjoy our chat You can follow Claire On Instagram @clairewalshlife Or website www.clairewalshlife.com You can follow Kathie On Instagram @griefireland On TikTok @familyflowersonly For more information on Grief Retreats visit www.griefireland.com

On this weeks episode of Family Flowers Only I speak to Annette Burke Annette is from Galway and is a trainee psychotherapist. Her early life faced challenge and loss of sorts as her brother battled with poor mental health which put a lot of strain on the family. In 2020 Annettes mother Teresa passed away after a short illness which caused a great deal of complexity surrounding her grief as their relationship had been strained in the lead up to her mothers diagnosis. Sadly her grief was further compounded by another blow to her family earlier this year. Annette spoke to me about the heaviness of guilt, the misconception that we always have ample amounts of time, and how her mother helps her now. I hope you enjoy this episode N.B (Please be aware we discuss topics of a sensitive nature in this podcast such as Death, Mental Health, Suicide etc) Visit www.pieta.ie for MH support or call 116 123 You can follow Kathie On Instagram @griefireland On TikTok @familyflowersonly For more information on Grief Retreats visit www.griefireland.com

On todays episode of family flowers only I speak to Aidan Brennan Aidan is from Roscommon, husband to Tracey and Dad to Evan. Aidans wife Tracey was diagnosed with Cervical Cancer in 2017 following a smear test. She went on to advocate for access to the drug Pembroe and campaigned alongside Vicky Phelan and Aine Morgan, the drug was made available for the women of Ireland something Tracey and the other ladies valiantly fought for. Unfortunately the drug did not work for Tracey and she sadly lost her life to Cancer in 2019. Aidan shared with me so openly about his grief, the reality of being left to raise a young child alone and how overwhelming the loneliness can be at times I hope this episode helps you in some way. (N.B Please note that we discuss sensitive topics such as Death, Cancer and Grief) You can follow Kathie on Instagram @griefireland And on TikTok @Familyflowersonly For more information on Grief Retreats visit www.griefireland.com

On todays episode of family flowers only I speak to Diane Healy Diane is from Sligo, a Guard and mom to little Caol√°n. Diane first experienced grief when she lost her dad Hugh 6 weeks before her wedding to the love of her life Ronan. They went on to build a beautiful life together and during lockdown they were so content in their own little bubble with their new little baby when devastatingly tragedy struck again when Ronan lost his life in a RTC. Diane so bravely spoke to me about her broken heart, the dignity, honour and respect that was paid to Ronan during his funeral, the ripple affect of his loss and how she tries to find light through self care. I hope this episode helps you in some way Don't forget to follow us here and leave a rating and most importantly please tell your friends. N.B Please be aware we discuss topics that are sensitive such as death, RTCs, life support You can find Kathie on Instagram @griefireland And on Tik Tok @familyflowersonly For more information on retreats visit www.griefireland.com