08.11.2026
When reflecting on the 46 years of joy Jack and Ann’s daughter, Miriam, brought into their lives at Anam Cara’ National Remembrance Day, Jack said Miriam always brought kind people into their lives.
“When I’m asked what do we get from Anam Cara, I have to answer I don’t exactly know. Except that I feel it’s a place where our souls meet and find comfort. We know we would be truly lost without the kindness and empathy we receive from parents who are unfortunately in the same boat as us… We are profoundly grateful to you for providing this shared space where we find comfort and kindness from kindred spirits.
Miriam continues to bring kind people like you into our lives.”
When people ask, what does ‘Anam Cara’ mean? We can say that it is Gaelic for ‘soul friend,’ the one who is always by your side and truly knows and accepts your whole self. More tangibly, there is no better way to answer that question than to look to days like today.
Friends and strangers from every corner of the island gather, facing thick fog and long drives, to meet those kindred spirits. Those parents who can say they truly understand and mean it. Those moments of recognition provide a comfort that is hard to find in the midst of grief.
We were so incredibly grateful for the generosity and vulnerability of our other speakers at the Remembrance Day: bereaved mum Michelle and bereaved sister Jacinta. They invited everyone in the room to remember Molly and Sarah. Molly’s spark, her desire to live her life brightly and boldly in the face of cancer. The way Sarah continues to be present in Jacinta’s life, inspiring her to get out of bed even on the hardest days.
As much as this day is about loss, it is also about connection. Continuing bonds with beloved children gone too soon. The community formed from this loss, that has the capacity to carry parents through grief even when overwhelmed by sadness.
Speaking about what this event meant to her, Fundraising Manager Tasha Quinn spoke about the moments she is taking forward with her:
“Seeing whole families come out together to remember their child and brother or sister. The love in the room. The support of one bereaved mum holding another’s hand. The generosity of sharing their children with us and how much it meant to them to be able to do that and talk about their child.”
This day would not have been possible without the support of so many. First and foremost, our parent speakers Michelle and Jack, and Jacinta McIntyre who not only spoke about her sister, Sarah, but offered beautiful and heartfelt music to carry us through the day.
We are so grateful to the Hodson Bay Hotel for providing a safe space for families to gather and remember. The courtesy of each member of staff we worked with and abundant hospitality offered such warmth to the day.
To our volunteers from SMBC Aviation Capital: Caoimhe, Fiona, Jodi, and Cian who gave so generously of their time and of their hearts to truly be present with these families, we cannot thank you enough for bringing our partnership to life.
Last, but certainly not least, to everyone who attended, parents, siblings, grandparents, and friends, thank you. It is in bringing your full self and those you have lost that strangers become soul friends, making Anam Cara.