Family Flowers Only by Grief Ireland

This week I sit down with Lyn Kennedy for an honest conversation about two very different but equally profound kinds of loss.Lyn first speaks about her wonderful dad Peter who developed depression later in life and struggled openly with his mental health before dying by suicide. She reflects on what it was like to witness that decline, the impact it had on their family, and the shock and grief that follows such a complex loss.We then move into Lyn’s own journey with secondary infertility, the seven-year struggle to have another baby and the emotional toll of longing, hope, and uncertainty. Lyn shares candidly about what that chapter looked like for her and where that journey has led.This is a conversation about love, resilience, and the many forms grief can take, both sudden and slow, visible and invisible.For more information on Lyns work you will find her on Instagram @lynkennedyphotography For more information on The Grief Workshops please visit www.griefireland.com

This week I sit down with Evan Daly, who speaks with such love and honesty about losing his dad Iggy to an extremely aggressive cancer, Cholangiocarcinoma. Evan’s dad died just one month to the day after his diagnosis, and Evan reflects on the courage and calm acceptance his dad showed from the very beginning and how that strength carried their family through the hardest weeks of their lives.Beyond the loss itself, this conversation gently opens into something many people experience after grief, loosing your way, feeling disconnected from your body, your routine, and yourself. Evan shares his perspective as an online coach, speaking about compassion, empathy, and meeting yourself where you are, especially after loss, when motivation and structure can feel impossible.We also talk about Evan’s coaching platform app Glean and how movement, routine, and self-kindness can become supports rather than pressures during grief.For anyone looking for additional support you’ll find my membership space After the Flowers here https://after-the-flowers.circle.so/checkout/after-the-flowers-membershipFor upcoming Grief Workshops - visit https://www.griefireland.com/For more information about the incredible work Evan is doing visit: https://www.gleanapp.com

This week I sit down with Roz McElwee for an honest and moving conversation. Roz speaks about loosing her beloved mom to cancer.Interwoven throughout this episode is a very open discussion about baby loss, fertility struggles, miscarriage, and the journey toward surrogacy. Roz shares her story with such vulnerability, touching on the quiet grief that so many people carry while trying to build a family often in silence.This is a conversation about layered loss, grieving a parent while also navigating the heartbreak and hope that comes with fertility challenges and the strength it takes to keep going when life doesn’t unfold as expected.For those looking for ongoing support, I’ve created a private membership space called After the Flowers. You can find more information here https://after-the-flowers.circle.so/checkout/after-the-flowers-membership

Content note: This episode includes discussion of suicide, mental health struggles, and family estrangement.In this weeks episode I’m joined by Ailbhe O'Donnell, who shares her experience of loss, survival, and the long-term impact of family estrangement.Ailbhe speaks openly about loss in its many forms the loss of family connection, the loss of identity, the loss of belonging and what it means to grieve people who are still alive.This episode also explores Alva’s journey through profound mental health struggles in her early adulthood, her experience of feeling unsupported at critical moments, and the slow, hard process of rebuilding a life rooted in self-worth, resilience, and compassion. At its heart, this is a conversation about survival, and learning how to become your own source of care when no one else can.This episode does not seek to assign blame or make allegations about any individual. All reflections shared are from Ailbhe’s personal perspective, memory, and emotional experience and are presented as such.Listener CareThis episode may be difficult for some listeners. Please take care while listening, pause if you need to, or skip this episode entirely if it feels like too much right now.If this conversation brings anything up for you, support is available:Ireland: Samaritans — 116 123 (24/7)Contact your GP or local mental health servicesInternational listeners: please seek crisis or mental health support services in your own countryYou don’t have to go through this alone.After the Flowers – Grief Support MembershipIf this episode has resonated with you, I’ve recently opened a gentle support space called After the Flowers, a low-cost monthly membership for people navigating grief in all its forms.It’s a place to connect with other people who understand, take part in group conversations and live Zoom support calls, and access sessions designed to support the nervous system through grief, including breath work, meditation, EFT, and grounding practices. Members also receive exclusive access to podcast video episdoes and conversations.There’s no pressure it’s simply there if and when it feels right for you. You can join herehttps://after-the-flowers.circle.so/checkout/after-the-flowers-membership

This week’s episode is a catch-up conversation with previous guest Sophia Murphy where we reflect on how she has navigated Christmas and the months since we last spoke.Sophia’s grief journey is complex and deeply personal. In this episode, she speaks about surviving childhood sexual abuse at the hands of her father, the long-term impact that trauma has had on her life, and the work she has done around healing. She also shares her experience of engaging in restorative justice, including visiting her father in prison to confront the past, and how this process has supported her own recovery.This is an honest, thoughtful conversation about trauma, survival, and the different paths people take toward healing. We also reference our previous episode together which listeners may wish to revisit for further context. Just search for Family Flowers Only with Sophia Murphy.⚠️ Content notice: This episode contains discussion of childhood sexual abuse, sexual assault, and trauma, which some listeners may find distressing. Please take care while listening.For those looking for ongoing support, I’ve created a private membership space called After the Flowers. Join here - https://after-the-flowers.circle.so/checkout/after-the-flowers-membershipTo hear more from Sophia her own podcast is called "Having the chats with Peter and Sophia" and you can find that wherever you get your podcasts

This week I sit down with Charlotte Finn, who speaks openly about losing her dad Michael to oesophageal cancer. Charlotte was just 13 when her dad was diagnosed and 14 when he died. Now 19 she reflects back on that time with remarkable honesty and insight.Charlotte shares what it was like to be a teenager watching a parent become ill and how even knowing he was sick she never truly believed he would die. She speaks about the shock of losing him so young, the way grief showed up during her teenage years and how that loss has shaped who she is today.It’s a powerful conversation that offers a rare and important perspective on parental loss through the eyes of a young person.For more information on joining our membership please visit www.griefireland.com

This week I sit down with Edel Killilea for an incredibly moving and emotional conversation. Edel’s story is one of huge love and immense loss.She speaks about loosing her baby daughter Sienna who was born with a heart condition and lived for just a few precious days. In the months that followed Edel also lost her baby nephew who lived for only one day and later her brother Kevin to cancer.At the heart of this episode is Edel’s story of true love with her husband John who was diagnosed with a rare form of Parkinson’s known as MSA. Edel speaks so beautifully about the life they shared, the pure character he was, and the indescribable ache of loosing her soulmate.Edel also shared some of her incredible poetry, her therapy and coping mechanism. She closed the episode by reading one of her own poems and holding little "Sienna bunny" a teddy who was on her lap the whole time.For more information about Grief retreats and the "After the Flowers" Membership coming soon visit www.griefireland.com

This week join me from my home for a solo episode! I wanted to be with you this New Year's Eve to highlight how hard the day can be while navigating grief. As this year comes to an end I also wanted to share a couple of touching voice notes from listeners and past guests. This really feels like a community here and Im just so grateful to be with you all each week as you walk this difficult road.Thank you all so much for listening and for sharing. I will see you all on Sunday with another episode. Kathie xFor more information on the upcoming membership join the mailing list on www.griefireland.com

I caught up remotely with Eimear and Alan who I recorded a full episode with back in April. They spoke so honestly about the devastation of loosing their precious daughter Keeley and today we caught up about how they have been since the podcast aired, how different their Christmas now looks, what they do to honour and celebrate Keeley around Christmas and just reflections on Grief in general. I do hope this conversation will help those who are struggling today x

This week I sit down with Clara Gardiner who shares the heartbreaking story of losing her younger sister Jemma. Jemma lived with spina bifida and hydrocephalus, and while she was a bright, bubbly, and deeply loved girl, her death following a medical procedure came as a devastating shock. She died from sepsis.Clara speaks openly about how misunderstood her sister’s passing was and how that added another layer of pain to their loss. She also shares her own experience of grief, the numbness, the fear of not being able to cry or feel anything at all, and the realisation that grief doesn’t always look the way we expect it to.It’s a deeply honest conversation about sibling loss, love, and learning to trust your own way of grieving.For more information on grief retreats and support, visit www.griefireland.com.

This week I sit down with Peter Shelley who shares the heartbreaking story of losing his baby daughter Aodhla suddenly at just eight weeks old to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).Peter speaks honestly about the shock of that loss, the devastation that followed, and what it’s like to grieve the death of a child as a parent particularly from a father’s perspective. We talk about how grief can look different for mums and dads, the silence men often carry, and the importance of speaking openly about their pain.Peter now hosts his own podcast Dads Don’t Cry continuing the conversation around grief and childloss.

This week I sit down with Hazellynn Doyle, who speaks so openly about the devastating loss of her dad Derek.He died instantly in a tragic road accident when a HGV lorry made a left-hand turn while he was cycling home from work a week before Christmas.Hazel shares the shock of that day, the grief that followed, and the pain of not being able to say goodbye as his coffin had to remain closed. Her honesty, love, and strength shine through every part of this conversation.For more information on grief retreats and support, visit www.griefireland.com.

This week I sit down with Shannon Gallagher who shares the heartbreaking story of losing her partner Eoin to suicide. Shannon speaks with incredible honesty about the shock and trauma of the day she found him and the profound impact that moment has had on her life.She opens up about the PTSD that followed, the fear in the early days, and the long difficult road of trying to understand a loss that can never fully make sense.It’s a deeply emotional and courageous conversation, shining a light on the reality so many people live with behind closed doors and the importance of compassion, support, and speaking openly about mental health.For more information on grief retreats and support, visit www.griefireland.com.

This week I’m joined by Kitty Maguire who shares the heartbreaking story of losing her mam Jo on Christmas Eve. Jo was on her way to Kitty’s house when a drunk driver hit her car and killed her instantly.At a time of year that’s already so emotional for so many Kitty speaks with incredible honesty about the shock of that night, the grief that follows a sudden death, and the empty space her mam has left behind every day since.In this episode in collaboration with the Road Safety Authority, we also talk about the devastating impact of drunk driving and the lives changed forever by one decision behind the wheel.For more information on grief retreats and workshops please visit www.griefireland.com.

This week I sit down with Matthew Malley from Donegal, who has lived through more loss than most will ever face. Matthew lost his father before he was even born, then his brother Francis to suicide, and later his mother Tessie to dementia leaving him as the only one remaining from his immediate family.In our conversation Matthew speaks openly about going silent after losing his brother believing he had to “just get on with it.” He shares how damaging that silence became and why reaching out talking and seeking support is so important.It’s an honest, powerful episode with a message that so many people need to hear.For more information on grief retreats, visit www.griefireland.com.

This week, Family Flowers Only is shining a light on Lines of Enquiry, a gripping new Irish true crime podcast presented by retired Garda detective John Sweetman. Each episode takes listeners inside the work of the Garda Technical Bureau, showing how real investigations are built from the ground up. It’s detailed, compelling, and grounded in the realities of what happens behind the headlines. If you’re looking for a true crime show with substance and heart, this is the one to start.https://open.spotify.com/episode/3EzGXohKAgAo9iu9ADiHgU?si=g9f6uACxRTWuHJi069w2qg

This week, I sit down with Niamh McGuinness who shares the heartbreaking story of her son Jamie who was tragically murdered in April 2023.In this powerful and deeply emotional conversation, Niamh speaks about the unimaginable pain of losing a child in such violent circumstances. She opens up about the ripple effect of male-on-male violence, the stigma that still surrounds it, and the devastating reality faced by families left behind.We also speak about the court process, the search for justice, and the strength it takes to keep going when life has been forever changed.⚠️ Please note: this episode contains discussion of violent loss, trauma, and grief that some listeners may find distressing.For more information on grief retreats and support, visit www.griefireland.com

This week I sit down with Victoria Kirk, known to many online as @thisenglishhome whose beautiful home and DIY projects inspire thousands.But behind her calm and creative world lies a story of deep loss. Victoria spoke to me about losing her dad to suicide when she was young and the heartbreak, and complexity that came with it. She also shared her experience of living with endometriosis and the grief of multiple miscarriages.It’s a powerful and emotional conversation about love, loss, and the courage to keep rebuilding in every sense of the word.For more information on grief retreats, visit www.griefireland.com.

This week I sit down with Valerie O’Donnell a woman whose story is both heartbreaking and profoundly moving. Valerie lost both her husband David and her son Darren to suicide.In this deeply honest conversation Valerie speaks about how her life changed after their deaths, the layers of loss, the moments of understanding, and the unimaginable difference between losing a partner and losing a child.It’s a raw, brave, and deeply human episode one that reminds us how vital compassion, awareness, and support are for those living with such pain.The views and experiences shared in this episode are those of the guest and reflect her personal perspective. They are not statements of fact about any other individual or family. The conversation is shared for the purpose of understanding and awareness around grief and loss.For more information on grief retreats, visit www.griefireland.com.

This week I sit down with Meagan Johnston who shares the heartbreaking story of her sister Aoife Johnston. Aoife died from Sepsis after being left to wait over sixteen hours in the emergency department at Limerick Hospital despite being triaged as needing to be seen within fifteen minutes.Meagan speaks with courage about the shock and devastation of her family’s loss, the ongoing fight for answers, and the lasting impact of what happened. She also reflects on the inquest process and the change she hopes will come so that no other family has to endure the same pain.It’s an emotional and powerful conversation about loss, accountability, and love.For more information about Grief Retreats visit www.griefireland.com