Westmeath Women: Eileen Loughlin

This world can be a beautiful place, and in this day and age, we must do more to acknowledge its beauty. There is beauty in everything, and one Westmeath woman who promotes it is Eileen Loughlin from Delvin.

Eileen has been posting on Instagram since 2012, but over the years she has gathered a following of 71,000, so far.

She is a proud Delvin woman, having lived there all her life; she has been teaching at St Joseph’s in Rathwire for 21 years.

Besides her teaching life and content creator status, the most important part of Eileen’s life is being a mother, and much of her content is centred on that.

“I suppose being a mammy is probably the most important thing – although it’s the most time-consuming thing in my life, it’s still the best thing.

“I feel very lucky to have four children, Senan is 21, he’s my eldest boy, studying in Galway University, TJ is 13, and he just started secondary school at CBS in Mullingar, we have Annabell, who sadly passed away in August 2018, and we have another little girl, Isla, who is three and a half.”

Eileen is also married to former Clonkill and Westmeath hurler Enda Loughlin, and both have been mainstays in the community for many years.

With her social media life, Eileen takes a unique approach, and it even bleeds through into the name of her account: Everything.Eileen.

“I started posting on Instagram years ago, just as a hobby to be honest.

“I just love photos, I feel like I’m just naturally a person who overshares, and it was just something that I enjoyed doing.

“I love taking pictures and was putting them up gradually, over time. I just built a following over the years.”

“My page is simple, it’s called Everything Eileen because it’s literally whatever is happening in my life.

“I read a lot of things that say you should niche down, but it’s not who I am. It’s just whatever is going on in my life, it’s popped up on Instagram, and I think that’s what makes it nice.”

Along with a busy family and work life, Eileen values her time as an influencer and content creator, as it challenges her and offers variety.

“It definitely makes me go outside my comfort zone, trying new things constantly, and I love it.

“I love routine, I’m a routine person. My husband would be the opposite, but I’d prefer to know I’m up at the same time every day.

“Although, with Instagram, it gives you that bit of fun; let’s say I have to go to a screening in Dublin, on a normal week I probably would have got around to doing that, but because it’s through Instagram, you make the effort and it’s just nice.

“Instagram is lovely, I’ve got so many brilliant opportunities from it.”

Eileen discussed how important that was to her in the aftermath of her daughter Annabell’s sad death.

“I lost Annabell in 2018, and I had so much real-life support from friends, family, and work colleagues, but I had Instagram friends too.

“I might not have necessarily met them in real life, but they were there. It’s really lovely, there are such nice people out there, and Instagram is just another way to connect with an even bigger community.”

Eileen has had a busy few years, but she still finds the time for new projects.

This year, she released a well received children’s book in her daughter’s memory.

“After Annabell passed away, I had a copy and I was just writing stories and the words she used, along with the memories that I had with Annabell.

“What I know from talking to other bereaved parents who go through a phase, which is normal, where you think that you are going to forget things, forget their voice, and forget their stories.

“So I decided to compile these little things, and I always had it in the back of my mind that I would write a children’s book, but I never had a reason or an idea or anything.

“I just came up with the idea of doing a picture book in memory of Annabell, so I did. I then contacted publishing companies in Ireland.

“I didn’t get anywhere at the start, then we had Isla, so it all went on the back burner for a while, just with having a newborn.

“But then my sister put me in contact with Julie Ann Carroll, who teaches in Delvin, and she also wrote a children’s book in memory of a girl from Delvin who she taught with.”

“It’s been amazing, I really didn’t know what to expect. The feedback has been fantastic. I’ve even got to read it at Isla’s play school, which is the same play school that Annabell went to, so that was so special.

“It’s been lovely watching kids while I’m reading it, and they seem really engrossed. It’s a simple story, it’s just real, and children can relate to it. With things like going to the beach and fun activities that all children can relate to, it’s a nice, easy read for parents and teachers.

“Obviously, the whole reason behind the book is sad, but it’s still a nice way to remember, and it feels apt because you are remembering a three-year-old girl.”

Elaine concluded: “My daughter Isla wasn’t born when Annabell was here, so we have included her; there’s a little butterfly on each page, and that represents Isla.”