Laois farm families invited to remember loved ones at Embrace FARM Service
Women in farm families to be celebrated in Abbeyleix to coincide with International Year of the Female Farmer
Farm families from Laois and right around Ireland are being invited to Abbeyleix to remember loved ones lost through farming accidents.
On Sunday, June 28, Embrace FARM will host its Annual Ecumenical Remembrance Service, with the aim of bringing together farm families from across the island to remember loved ones, while offering a shared space for reflection and support.
As 2026 has been designated the International Year of the Woman Farmer, this year’s service will say the charity, recognise the vital and often unseen role of women within farming families and rural communities - particularly in the context of care, loss and resilience.
Embrace FARM says this role is evident 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, which the charity says highlights the central role women play and the unique challenges they face following loss.
Catherine Kenneally is the Business Development Manager at Embrace FARM.
“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,” she said.
The charity says 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.
Embrace FARM says it 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.
Now in its 13th year, the service has become a cornerstone event for the Laois-founded Embrace FARM in supporting families impacted by serious injury and sudden death, while honouring the lives and legacies of those lost. MORE BELOW PHOTO.
The service will take place on Sunday, June 28, at 2 pm in the Church of the Most Holy Rosary in Abbeyleix. It will be live-streamed on the Embrace FARM Facebook Page, enabling families nationwide to take part.
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.
Embrace FARM was established by husband and wife Brian and Norma Rohan in 2014, following the tragic loss of Brian’s father, Liam, in a farming accident on their land at Shanahoe.
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.
From the first annual 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 a sudden incident. The organisation has supported more than 700 farm families, offering connection, understanding and support during times of profound loss.
For further information, follow @embracefarmsupport on Facebook and Instagram, find Embrace FARM on LinkedIn, or visit embracefarm.com.