Embrace FARM invites Derry families to annual memorial service
As 2026 marks the International Year of the Woman Farmer, the Abbeyleix event shines a light on female care and loss.
Farm families from Derry and right around Ireland are being invited to Abbeyleix to remember loved ones lost through farming accidents.
On Sunday, June 29, Embrace FARM will host its Annual Ecumenical Remembrance Service, bringing together farm families from across Ireland to remember loved ones lost within their community, while offering a shared space for reflection and support. Now in its 13th year, the service has become a cornerstone event for Embrace FARM, supporting families impacted by serious injury and sudden death, while honouring the lives and legacies of those lost.
As 2026 has been designated the International Year of the Woman Farmer, this years’ service will also recognise the vital and often unseen role of women within farming families and rural communities - particularly in the context of care, loss and resilience.This role is apparent in the fact that 64% of those engaging with Embrace FARM’s supports are female. In addition, 110 women are currently part of the organisation’s dedicated Widows Support Group, highlighting both the central role women play and the unique challenges they face following loss within the farming community.
Catherine Kenneally, Embrace FARM, said: “Our Remembrance Service creates a space where families can come together in understanding and support. It is a place where every name read aloud represents a life deeply loved and remembered. This year, we are particularly conscious of the role of women in farming families - as carers, supporters and often the steady force guiding families forward in the most difficult of times. Their strength and resilience are central to the farming community.”
The service will take place on the last Sunday of June at 2pm in the Church of the Most Holy Rosary in Abbeyleix, Co. Laois, and will be live streamed on the Embrace FARM Facebook Page enabling families nationwide to take part.
A central element of the service remains the Remembrance Roll Call, where the names of loved ones are read aloud in a moving tribute. Embrace FARM is inviting families across the country to submit names for inclusion, continuing a tradition that has brought comfort to hundreds each year.
Last year, 377 names were called out during the service, reflecting the far-reaching impact of loss within the farming community.
As a national organisation, Embrace FARM continues to support families across Ireland in the aftermath of serious injury and sudden death, providing a compassionate and understanding network grounded in shared experience.
To include a loved one in this year’s Remembrance Service, families can call or WhatsApp 085-7709966, or email [email protected] with the name, county, year of death, and a photograph if available.
For further information, follow @embracefarmsupport on Facebook and Instagram, find Embrace FARM on LinkedIn, or visit embracefarm.com.