On July 9th, 2016, I dropped my middle child and only daughter Ciara at the Lidl car park in Kilkenny for the concert bus to go to...

For most people, this is a Christmas like no other, but for parents who have recently lost a child, or any loved one, it is different for...

Every writer claims to have writer's block, some say it is a myth, as teachers don't get a setback where they can't teach, or a nurse...

T You are 6. Your head pressed against the car window humming "Shakira, Shakira, my hips don't lie, Shakira, Shakira." Are you comparing...

First Perspective When I entered the New Years Eves party I scanned the room to look for my husband Frank. He wasn’t hard to find. He was...

Eimear’s Journal Another day Its another day and as usual my first thought is Ciara. During the night, I woke many times with dreams of...

The water glistens as the mid-day sun shines on the river. It is quiet, so quiet I can hear myself breathe. I wipe a bead of sweat that...

I stop running at the top of the hill to catch my breath, adrenaline still pumping. Usually, I marvel at the beautiful medieval Castle...

I shifted on the couch, after all the years I spent in his office I never got used to the hard-cushioned couch. It was strange a doctor...

Dear Ciara, Do you remember me telling dad I was pregnant with you and he hugged me and said, ’We’re a family now.’  You arrived into...

The ash clashes, hurlers pump their hurls in the air, another point. Proud parents cheer. Supporters of the club. It’s through...

He spots her at the bus stop. Long auburn hair, piercing blue eyes. Nervous, unsure of herself, not making eye contact with anyone. It’s...

My granny always said the one thing she hated about getting old was there was no roadmap. She once told me to make a map, and get out of...

Thanks to everyone who supported The Ciara Lawlor Memorial this year in aid of Ataxia Foundation Ireland. Run with Ciara and The Memorial...

‘More wine.’ That’s how the Camino walk evolved.  I have hazy recollections discussing this with five good friends one summer Friday...

At my daughter’s funeral in the summer of 2016, people told me I would never get over Ciara’s death, that I would take it to my grave....

ONE LESS PRESENT TO 25th August 1998 The pain is getting stronger. The nurse checks the babies heart. The babies’ rhythmic heartbeat on...

The world seems to be filled with sadness and fear. Maybe it’s 24h/7hr access to the news on the television or internet. But we seem to...

I’d have died for my daughter but she died before me. Last year her life was severed six weeks before her 18th birthday, no warning,  no...

25th August 1998 The pain is getting stronger. The nurse checks the babies heart. The babies’ rhythmic heartbeat on the machine beside me...