Séamas O’Reilly is a Derry born writer for The Observer and The New York Times, who speaks to Sasha and Venetia about his mother Sheila, who passed away three weeks before his sixth birthday in October 1991. Driving back from the Belfast hospital on the night of her death, his father was faced with the mammoth task of raising 11 children as a loan parent for the first time.

An exceptionally talented and descriptive writer, Séamas’s memoir “Did Ye Hear Mammy Died?” comes out in Spring 202, and he shares his own memories of that period, and some newly uncovered ones during this week’s chat. Sasha, Venetia and Séamas also share their own unique stories and perspectives on parenting and bereavement and their way to approach the subject of death with children.

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This week's Grief Encounters is a little bit different than usual. Regular listeners of the podcast know that we often focus an episode on the life and loss of someone dear to our guests.

Kelsie Donelly is a PHD graduate from Queen’s University Belfast who recently got in touch with us about her research that looks into the ways in which 21st century literature can provide a new perspective on our grief. We were delighted to share this podcast with her, as she discussed how 2020 and everything that has come with it, has changed the focus of grief, and how particular narratives changed around the subject particularly in relation to the pandemic. She also discusses with Sasha about a new potential landmark in grief culture, that took place in the quite literal form of Robert Kardashian’s hologram birthday message to his daughters.

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One of the most difficult things a person can experience in their lifetime is hearing the news that a loved one has died both prematurely and unexpectedly.

In 2016, Neil Fox's life was changed forever, after gardaí knocked to his door to inform him his sister Donna had passed away in a cycling accident that morning. In the years since Neil’s personal experience with both grief and trauma has brought him on an incredible journey through sobriety, sexuality and ultimately becoming more comfortable in his own skin. He speaks with Sasha and Venetia about the ups and downs in his life, since Donna’s death, and his incredible work to prevent similar accidents taking place on Irish roads.

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This week’s guest recently described grief as “the companion you never wanted”, a sentiment that is shared by all of the team involved in making this podcast series. Amanda Grace is the daughter of Brendan Grace, one of Ireland's all-time legendary figures in comedy and entertainment, who’s death in July 2019 saw a special public outcry of grief and love, in a way that very few people garner. Amanda is a former 'rock school rebel' turned spiritual guide. Her offerings in contemplative journaling, coaching & community teach women to marry the powers of creativity and intuition, surrender the never ending pursuit of trying to 'fix' themselves & commit instead to a more intentional healing path, on which they can be unapologetically true to who they are. Her relationship with her father still remains incredibly strong, albeit a different form of relationship since his passing. She discusses carrying on this relationship within your grief, and the importance of speaking about your loved one in the present.

In the interview, Amanda also discusses with Sasha about what it means to “hold space” for someone, an intentional act of unconditional support where no judgements are made in whatever journey they may be on. You can find more info on “holding space” in this essay recommended by Amanda.

Other Links:

Derek Walcott - Love After Love

Amanda Grace - Things to Do in The Belly Of A Whale

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This week’s guest, Justin Caffrey and his wife Beatrice have gone through something no parents should ever have to deal with in their lifetime. The loss of a child.

In 2011 after a series of devastating miscarriages, Beatrice became pregnant once more. 25 weeks into the pregnancy during a family holiday in Malaga, Beatrice’s waters broke, leading to the extremely premature birth of their son Joshua. Joshua was born with a host of medical complications causing Justin and his wife and 4 year old son to uproot their lives for the next 11 months and act as carers in a city completely foreign to them. In this truly incredible interview, Justin speaks in detail about their own experiences in losing Joshua, as well as the incredible road his grief has brought him on.

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Today's guest Beth French lost her mum when she was just 20 years old, from cancer of the bile duct, having just finished her second year of university. Beth's mother was in her early 50s and had been completely healthy, so her loss left Beth and her family in a complete sense of shock. Like many people who experience grief, she found that her perspective had shifted and now had a new aspect of her identity that was not commonly shared by many young people, feeling like a member of a club she did not want to be in.

Beth established the UK based charity Lets Talk About Loss, a youth bereavement service aimed at trying to overcome the barriers of talking about losing a loved one. In the chat she speaks to Venetia about the pain felt during her mother's illness, the shifting family dynamic after her death, and why even within the grief community, young adults still find it difficult to open up.

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Racism is a massive issue in Ireland today and something that we, as a country are not exempted from. The past 3 weeks of global protest at systematic racism in America has also shone light on great changes that need to happen closer to home.

On this week’s podcast Sasha and Venetia look at how racial abuse can have devastating impacts on those targeted by it, speaking to Aisling O’Neill a mother and advocate from Tipperary. In September 2019 Aisling’s 16 year old daughter Mia took her own life after suffering years of extreme racial abuse from people in their community, beginning at just aged 4.

In the chat Aisling paints a picture of her beautiful caring daughter, and the awful experiences she had to endure throughout her adolescence. She also speaks about the personal effect the Black Lives Matter protests have had on her and her grief. Since Mia’s death, Aisling has gone on to establish One Life, a charity focused on mental health awareness and community support.

You can find more information here:

https://www.facebook.com/onelifeireland/

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Jane Mckenna is the founder of Ireland's only children's hospice, and The Laura Lynn Foundation, both named after her two children, Laura and Lynn. Sadly, her vision to create a national children’s hospice spawned from utter tragedy. Jane joined Sasha & Venetia for an incredibly moving episode of Grief Encounters, where she speaks about how her family's journey through unthinkable loss, made her determined to give back in her own grief - leaving an incredible legacy for her two children.

Jane & her husband Brendan are the proud parents of two beautiful girls Laura & Lynn. Sadly, both Laura and Lynn passed away 20 months apart from each other, to differing illnesses, leaving Jane and Brendan living every parent's worst nightmare.

“Lynn thought us how to live, and she thought us how to die”

On this week’s episode of the podcast she gives a really special account of her family's life before and after Laura and Lynn’s passing. No detail is spared, as she paints an extremely vivid picture of what their life was like, living in and out of hospitals and waiting appointment to appointment. More importantly, she manages to capture how incredibly strong both girls were, in sickness and in health.

This episode was originally released in February 2019*

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