Minister of State, Martin Heydon launches 9th annual remembrance event  

 Farm families encouraged to submit names of loved ones lost or injured from sudden deaths and traumas on farms for inclusion in rollcall of names 

#EmbraceFARM

8th June 2022: Later this month, Embrace FARM, will host the ninth Annual Ecumenical Remembrance Service which will welcome families in person for the first time since 2019 due to the Covid-19 Pandemic. This service, which has become an important date in the farming community calendar, acknowledges those who have survived farm accidents and remembers loved ones lost to sudden deaths and traumas on farms. The event takes place on Sunday 26th June 2022 at 2pm at the Most Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Abbeyleix, Co. Laois. Following the success of the past two online Remembrance Services, the event will a be live streamed on www.embracefarm.com and replayed on RTE on Sunday 3rd July.  

Embrace FARM founders, Brian, and Norma Rohan, are calling on farm families to submit names of loved ones who were lost or injured in farm accidents or other types of sudden deaths and traumas on farms to be remembered in the service. Last year 228 people’s names featured in the rollcall.  
 

Launching this year’s event, Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon acknowledged the importance of Embrace FARM’s work and the role of the Remembrance Service: “The Embrace FARM Remembrance Service every June is an opportunity for people to come together to remember loved ones and avail of ongoing support from other members of the farming community. Whether it is a first anniversary, fifth anniversary or tenth anniversary, they are all poignant in their own way. 

Obviously, last year’s event wasn’t the same as a result of Covid with the church not being full as it would have been in previous years, but it was very solemn, and it was still a very special event. Farm families who have experienced trauma need ongoing support. This event brings people together and allows them to make connections through their shared grief.”  

Statistics 

In 2021 there were nine fatal farm accidents in the Republic of Ireland according to the Health and Safety Authority (HSA).  HSA data shows 10% of all fatal farm accidents in the last ten years were children and 45% of which were older farmers over the age of 65 years.  

Remembrance Service 2022 

To add a loved ones name to the list of names which will be called out at this year’s Remembrance Service , people are asked to Call or WhatsApp 085-7709966 or email info@embracefarm.com with name, county, year of death or accident and a photograph if available. 

For further information follow @embracefarmsupport on Facebook and Instagram, @EmbraceFARM on Twitter, find us on LinkedIn or visit www.embracefarm.com.