This week I sit down with Jemma Buttimer who shares the heartbreaking loss of her brother Desmond Hurley known to everyone as Des.

Des was just 29 years old when he tragically lost his life in December 2023 while working aboard a fishing vessel off the southwest coast of Ireland. An experienced fisherman from Kinsale Des suffered a fatal injury following a fall on board the boat in circumstances later described at his inquest as a one-in-a-million tragedy.

Jemma shares the devastating shock of losing her brother so suddenly, and we speak about the enormous impact a death like this can have on an entire family.

This is a deeply moving conversation about sibling grief, sudden loss, and the heartbreak of trying to make sense of something so unexpected.

A heartfelt conversation about love, family, and the lasting impact of losing someone far too soon.

For tickets and more information on the Grief Workshop visit www.griefireland.com

This week I speak to Sandra Mullen, a makeup artist and celebrant who shares a deeply personal story of loss, survival and a type of grief that often goes unrecognised.

Just four months after her wedding devastating news concerning the safety of her eldest daughter turned Sandra’s world upside down and her marriage came to an abrupt end.

What followed were years of raising her children alone, navigating loneliness and simply trying to survive with little time or space to process everything she had lost.

In this incredibly honest and moving conversation Sandra reflects on the grief she carried for so many years without even recognising it as grief. The loss of her marriage, the future she had imagined, and the life she thought she would have.

A powerful reminder that grief isn't always about death and that every form of loss deserves to be acknowledged.

For information and tickets for our upcoming Grief Ireland workshops, visit www.griefireland.com.

This week I sit down with Noeleen Eustace, who shares the devastating story of losing her son Kelvin to suicide.

Noeleen speaks about Kelvin’s struggles with both addiction and his mental health, and the years she spent desperately trying to get him the help he needed. She talks about the complexities of dual diagnosis and what it is like as a mother to keep fighting for your child when it feels like there is nowhere left to turn.

She speaks with incredible honesty about losing Kelvin, the earth-shattering grief that has followed, and how you continue living when a part of you feels as though it died with your child.

A raw and deeply emotional conversation about a mother’s love, the fight to get help, addiction, mental health and the unimaginable reality of losing a child to suicide.

SUPPORT & SIGNPOSTING

This episode discusses addiction, mental health difficulties and suicide. Please listen with care.

Samaritans — Call 116 123 free, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Pieta — Support for suicidal thoughts, self-harm and suicide bereavement: 1800 247 247, or text HELP to 51444.

HUGG — Support for anyone bereaved by suicide, including peer-support groups: HUGG.ie.

HSE Drugs & Alcohol Helpline — Free and confidential support for anyone concerned about their own or somebody else’s drug or alcohol use: 1800 459 459.

If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call 112 or 999 or attend your nearest Emergency Department.