Family Flowers Only by Grief Ireland

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 a...

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 w...

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 th...

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. T...

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...

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...

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 l...

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...

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...

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 ha...

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...

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 y...

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...

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...

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....

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 answe...

This week, I’ve teamed up once again with the Road Safety Authority (RSA) to share an important conversation about the lasting impact of road tragedies. I sit down with Jacinta McIntyre , who lost her sister Sarah in a car crash caused by a careless driver. Sarah was a passenger in the car which claimed the life of the young girl and the driver, a mum of 7 children. Sarah's death changed Jacinta’s...

This week I sit down with Caitlin Beckett who shares the heartbreaking story of losing her dad Keith suddenly. He was her whole world, her best friend, her biggest supporter, and the person she could always turn to. Caitlin speaks honestly about the shock of his death, the guilt she carries knowing he was alone when he passed, and the dark days that followed. It’s a deeply emotional and powerful c...

This week I sit down with Shauna Bohan , who shares the heartbreaking story of losing her fiancé Benny, who died suddenly in front of her. Shauna speaks with raw honesty about the grief of losing the person who was her whole world and about the loneliness that followed. We also have one of the most open and powerful conversations I’ve ever had about mental health. Shauna talks about the darkness s...

This week I sit down with Darragh O’Neill who speaks with honesty and courage about the loss of his sister Ella . At just 21, Ella was vibrant and full of life, but her death by suicide came as a devastating shock to her family. Darragh shares openly about the aftermath of her passing , the grief, the change, and how isolating it can feel when people don’t fully understand. His words offer an impo...

This week I sit down with Althea Griffin who shares her deeply moving story of losing both of her parents at a very young age. By just 15 she had already faced unimaginable grief carrying the weight of loss and trying to find her way in the world without them. It’s an honest and powerful conversation that I think so many will connect with, and one that sheds light on how children grieve and can fe...

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 devas...

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 can...

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 ti...

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...