Limerick rugby legend John Hayes among those embracing grieving farming families
Three hundred and seventy seven names of deceased loved ones were read out at annual Embrace FARM remembrance service
COUNTY Limerick was well-represented at an annual service honouring the memory of farmers who have died or been seriously injured on the land.
Embrace FARM held its very well attended annual ecumenical remembrance service on Sunday. It is an opportunity for farm families from across Ireland to remember loved ones lost within their community.
Norma Rohan, co-founder of Embrace Farm, is from Broadford in west Limerick. Other local attendees included Lions, Ireland and Munster rugby legend John Hayes and children Bill and Sally from Cappamore. John is an Embrace FARM ambassador and longtime supporter.
This service has become a pillar event for Embrace FARM, providing comfort for families impacted by a serious injury or sudden death on the farm, and honouring their memory. This year, the service was held in the Church of the Most Holy Rosary in Abbeyleix, Co Laois, and was live-streamed on embracefarm.com for people to watch from home. It will also be broadcast on RTÉ One this Sunday, July 6 at 11am.
Ms Rohan said: “Our community has faced unimaginable loss, and our remembrance service offers a safe, non-judgemental space for people who have had a similar experience to gather together and remember loved ones lost.”
She said each name read aloud represents a cherished life and a family forever changed. “Our commitment is to ensure that farm families impacted by serious injury or sudden death have a support system to walk this journey with them,” said Ms Rohan.
She and husband, Brian, founded Embrace FARM following the tragic loss of Brian’s father Liam in a farming accident.
The not-for-profit organisation is the first of its kind to support the farming community and families of Ireland who, like them, have experienced the impact of serious injury and sudden death. Each year, an ecumenical remembrance service takes place for those who have suddenly lost a loved one in the farming community.
From the first remembrance service in 2014, the network has expanded nationwide and evolved its services to meet the needs of Irish farm families in the aftermath of an incident.
The organisation has engaged more than 600 farm families with its comforting and supportive embrace.
For further information, follow @embracefarmsupport on Facebook and Instagram, find them on LinkedIn, or visit embracefarm.com
Farming accounted for 12 out of 33 work-related deaths in 2024, according to the Health and Safety Authority (HSA). This represents over one third of all deaths from a sector employing just four per cent of the workforce in Ireland.
Three of these farm-related deaths were as a result of an attack from an animal.