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 hospit

A Suspension Of Time with Kelsie Donnelly

Nov 19th, 2020 27m

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 Universit

Understanding Trauma with Neil Fox

Oct 28th, 2020 31m 59s

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

Choosing Different with Amanda Grace

Sep 15th, 2020 42m 47s

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 lege

How Grief Helped Me Grow with Justin Caffrey

Aug 11th, 2020 42m 35s

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 on

Let’s Talk About Loss with Beth French

Jul 16th, 2020 20m 34s

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

Ireland’s Blind Eye Towards Racism with Aisling O’Neill

Jun 11th, 2020 26m 54s

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

Giving Back In Grief with Jane McKenna - The LauraLynn Foundation

Jun 3rd, 2020 56m 43s

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 joine

How COVID - 19 Complicates Everyone’s Grief

May 5th, 2020 29m 57s

The COVID 19 outbreak has touched the lives of thousands of families across Ireland, and more than ever before the prospect of an unexpected loss is a growing concern for many. Grief is complicated even on the best of days, but now as our lives

Grieving In The Uncertain Times We Live In with Megan Devine

Apr 28th, 2020 49m 34s

This week’s podcast is slightly different as we listen to an incredible conversation between Sasha and Megan Devine, who you might remember from one our favourite episodes last year: It’s Okay That You’re Not Okay. Sasha and Megan chatted durin

Grieving The Loss Of Yourself with Adriana Monique Alvarez

Apr 14th, 2020 30m 43s

“I walked into the bathroom and leaned on the sink. It was a strong contraction and instinctively I reached down to deliver my own daughter. She was born sleeping. No cry. No noise. No heartbeat. I yelled for my husband and he held my shaking b

Men Coming Together with Tony Owens and Mike Culshaw

Mar 24th, 2020 33m

Dalymount Park, otherwise known as The Home of Irish Football has seen some really special performances taken place in it’s One Hundred and Twenty-year history.This May, that trend will hopefully continue as, this week’s guests Tony Owen’s & Mi

Perinatal Palliative Care with Brid Shine

Mar 10th, 2020 39m 16s

This week Sasha and Venetia were joined in studio by Bríd Shine, midwife specialist in perinatal palliative care and bereavement for over ten years to discuss her incredibly important role in helping mothers who suffer stillbirth and neonatal b

Surviving A Suicide with Fiona Tuomey

Mar 3rd, 2020 45m 24s

This weeks guest is Fiona Tuomey, Founder and Director of HUGG which is an incredible charity that provides suicide bereavement support groups and online resources. In January 2016, Fiona’s beautiful daughter Milly died by suicide at the age of

Checking In with Sasha and Venetia

Feb 25th, 2020 26m 12s

This week Sasha and Venetia sat down to record a podcast without the addition of any guests, to discuss their own grief as well a variety of other important matters that have been brought up in the Grief Encounters community online. In the epis

How Emotions Change Throughout Grief with Laura Kennedy

Feb 18th, 2020 24m 27s

This weeks guest is The Sunday Times’ writer Laura Kennedy, a leading voice in grief conversation here in Ireland over the past five years. Laura’s work has done a huge amount in distilling a more modern approach to how we discuss the people we

Forgiveness After The Manchester Bombing with Figen Murray

Feb 11th, 2020 20m 44s

This week’s guest is a mother from Manchester who’s life was turned completely upside down, on the night of May 22nd 2017. Figen Murray’s son Martyn Hett was one of 22 innocent concert-goers killed at a suicide bombing that devastated Mancheste

Controlling Anxieties After A Loss with Brent Pope

Feb 4th, 2020 36m 36s

This week’s guest is the New Zealand rugby journalist, charity worker and children's book author Brent Pope, who joined Sasha and Venetia to speak about minding your mental health after the loss of a loved one. There is a huge symbiosis between

Grief’s Complicated with Erin McGathy

Jan 28th, 2020 33m 55s

Erin McGathy is an American podcaster and comedian who has found her home in Dublin, since moving here in 2016. During her teenage years, she lost her mother Susan to cancer at the young age of 42. A seminal period in Erin’s young life. Last ye

The Challenge Of Childhood Grief with Giles Paley-Phillips

Jan 21st, 2020 27m 1s

Since beginning the podcast, there have been certain topics that have featured in many episodes, but surprisingly the subject of childhood-loss has been relatively undiscovered so far. Today’s guest, Giles-Paley Philip's is a writer and podcast

Grief In Early Adulthood with Rose Yavneh Taylor

Jan 14th, 2020 26m 21s

How do you cope with the death of a parent at 24 years old? The time when you’re somewhere between independence and reliance on parents, figuring out who you are and what you want to do, and trying to maintain friendships and a social life when

Grief Encounters - The 2019 Recap

Dec 31st, 2019 27m 47s

Sasha looks back on what has been an incredible debut 12 months for Grief Encounters, featuring some of the most powerful interviews on the podcast to date. On behalf of all the team, we want to wish our listeners and past guests a joyous and p

Coping Over Christmas with Dr Colman Noctor

Dec 17th, 2019 22m 17s

Christmas can be a difficult time for anyone who has experienced loss in the past, and feelings of grief can be greatly amplified in these busy few weeks. This week on the podcast Sasha & Venetia revisit their first ever episode of Grief Encoun

Nine Weeks with Seán Kennedy

Dec 10th, 2019 32m 25s

This week’s guest is a tenor, writer and performer whos beautiful show Nine Weeks received widespread acclaim at this years Dublin Fringe Festival. Nine Weeks deals with Seán Kennedy’s experience of bringing his terminally-ill mother home from

A False Sense Of Hope With Deirdre Donnelly

Dec 3rd, 2019 23m 32s

This week’s podcast is slightly different, as we hear one woman’s account of undergoing fertility treatment, and the pain and disappointment that was to follow. Fertility treatment has undoubtedly been a catalyst for joy in many couples lives,