‘Love Doesn’t End’: Eileen Loughlin speaks about losing her daughter Annabel on RIP.ie podcast, Parting Words
RIP.ie have released a profoundly moving new episode of their podcast, Parting Words, which features primary school teacher and content creator Eileen Loughlin, who speaks with extraordinary honesty about the death of her three-and-a-half-year-old daughter Annabel in 2018, following a tragic accident in the family home.
Eileen describes the morning of the accident as utterly ordinary, mid-term break, children playing, plans to go to the cinema, before everything changed in a matter of minutes.
“It was the Friday of mid-term break… the accident happened near enough 10am, and at 3 that afternoon we were told to say goodbye to her.”
Annabel was airlifted to Temple Street, where a team of nine doctors fought to save her. Eileen recalls lying beside her daughter, singing to her and holding her until she died.
“I really felt like her spirit left her body… Annabel is gone. But her spirit is still here with us.”
Eileen speaks about the surreal days that followed, the numbness, the physical pain of grief, and the strange administrative tasks no parent imagines doing for their child.
She describes bringing Annabel home, laying her in her own bed, and the extraordinary support that surrounded them.
“It was the real Irish wake… there was someone with Annabel 24/7. The community rallied. Food arrived at the door. Things happened that we will never even know about.”
Eileen speaks candidly about navigating grief while parenting her sons, and later, her youngest daughter, Isla, who was born after Annabel’s death. She says Annabel remains a daily presence in their home.
“Her room is still there, every morning I turn on her lamp and say good morning. Isla follows behind me and says, ‘Bye Annabel’. It is just the norm to her.”
She also reflects on the fear that grief might “break” her children, and the realisation that grief cannot be fixed, only lived with.
Eileen credits her husband Enda, her family, her community, and the bereavement team at Temple Street for helping them survive the early months.
She also speaks about the comfort of routine, the grounding force of sport for her boys, and the healing power of honouring Annabel’s memory. “It gave us something to focus on… something we could all do together in her name.”
Mairead Neary, digital content editor for RIP.ie, says: “Eileen’s courage in sharing Annabel’s story is a gift to every parent who has faced the unimaginable. Her honesty, her humour, and her deep love for her daughter shine through every moment of this conversation. We are deeply grateful to her for trusting us with her story.”
Since launching earlier this year, Parting Words has surpassed half a million views on YouTube and become a space for honest conversations about grief, love and remembrance.
Sponsor: An Post Insurance
The series is supported by An Post Insurance, whose funeral insurance product helps people prepare thoughtfully and compassionately for life’s most difficult moments.
One Direct (Ireland) Limited, trading as An Post Insurance, is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of An Post and is a tied agent of New Ireland Assurance Company plc for life assurance business. Funeral Insurance policies are underwritten and provided by New Ireland Assurance Company plc.
Listen Now
Watch the episode on YouTube: RIP.ie Podcast: Parting Words | Episode Five, A Mother’s Grief: Eileen Loughlin on Losing Her Little Girl
Or listen on all major podcast platforms: https://partingwordspodcast.transistor.fm.
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