Family Flowers Only by Grief Ireland

This week I sit down with Joanna McNulty who shares the devastating and very recent loss of her father Joachim McNulty. Joachim was a seasoned fisherman who knew the sea well but tragically lost his life when his car slid down the slipway at Belderrig Pier in Mayo and entered the water. The pier surface had become dangerously slippery due to moss and algae and he was unable to escape the vehicle. Joanna joins me in the very acute early stages of grief to speak about what happened, the shock and devastation of losing her dad in such preventable circumstances, and the reality of navigating grief so soon after a tragedy. Alongside sharing her father’s story Joanna is determined that no other family should experience the same loss. She is now advocating for proper maintenance and safety standards across Ireland’s piers so that something like this cannot happen again. This is an incredibly raw and powerful conversation about grief and also about the need for safety measures to be implimented immediately You can support Joanna’s campaign by signing her petition here: https://c.org/ZNbyTcyjdg For those who may need support in their own grief journey: • Tickets for my Parent Loss Grief Workshop in Athlone – April 19th can be found here: https://www.griefireland.com/grief-retreat/p/grief-workshop-for-partner-loss-athlone • You can also learn more about my community membership After the Flowers, where members can access full video episodes, support resources and a private community space: https://after-the-flowers.circle.so/checkout/after-the-flowers-membership

This week I sit down with Rachel Gotto, a trauma and crisis coach and clinical hypnotherapist, who shares both her personal story of loss and the work she now does supporting others through trauma and grief. Rachel speaks about the devastating loss of her husband Nick, who died in a tragic accident when she was six months pregnant with their first child. She also reflects on the earlier loss of her brother Dominic at a young age, a grief that had a profound impact on her life and the path she would eventually take. Drawing from both lived experience and her professional work, Rachel offers powerful insight into trauma, grief, and the ways people can become stuck in their pain as well as how they can begin to gently move through it. It’s a thoughtful and deeply insightful conversation, full of wisdom for anyone navigating loss or supporting someone who is. You can learn more about Rachel and her work at www.rachelgotto.com, and find her on Instagram at @rachelvgotto. This episode of Family Flowers Only is kindly supported by Flowers.ie. Flowers.ie is an Irish business helping people send thoughtful, beautiful flowers across Ireland, whether it’s to celebrate, say thank you, or simply let someone know you’re thinking of them during difficult times. You can find them online at www.flowers.ie and follow along on social media: Instagram: @flowers.ie Facebook: flowers.ie TikTok: @flowers.ie_ A big thank you to Flowers.ie for supporting the podcast and helping these important conversations reach more people.

This week, I sit down with Tommy Martin who shares the deeply traumatic loss of his brother Chris who died suddenly from an asthma attack in front of him. Tommy speaks openly about the shock of that moment, trying to save his brother by performing CPR, and the lasting impact that night had on him. He reflects on how the trauma changed him, how he tried to bury his grief, and how eventually it all caught up with him. We also talk about the later loss of his father, and the complicated feelings that followed, including regret, reflection, and the weight of things left unsaid. This is a powerful and honest conversation about trauma, sibling loss, father loss, and the importance of allowing yourself to feel what you’ve been carrying. For tickets to upcoming Grief workshops please visit www.griefireland.com For watch Podcast Video episodes in full and have early access to episodes plus a full supportive membership community with live support calls and therapeutic practises and more please join the "After the Flowers Membership" here https://after-the-flowers.circle.so/checkout/after-the-flowers-membership

This week I sit down with Zoe Williams who shares the heartbreaking loss of her brother Lee who died from cancer at just 27 years old. Zoe speaks openly about what it was like to watch her brother become ill at such a young age, the shock of losing him when life should have been stretching out in front of him, and the deep bond they shared as siblings. She reflects on the aftermath of his death, the silence, and the space he left behind. This is a tender and honest conversation about loosing someone far too soon, and learning how to carry them with you in the years that follow. For more information on Grief Retreats please visit www.griefireland.com To WATCH podcast episodes and find real support in the membership - https://after-the-flowers.circle.so/checkout/after-the-flowers-membership

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-membership For 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, the absence of support 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. It is a story of lived experience, shared with courage, care, and honesty, and one that many listeners may recognise parts of in their own lives. 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 services International listeners: please seek crisis or mental health support services in your own country You 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 here https://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. You can join the mailing list via www.griefireland.com to be the first to hear more. From Tuesday, the membership will be linked directly here in the show notes. To 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 x For 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