Kieran was a loving husband, thoughtful, kind, and considerate. He was such a great dad, so proud of our two children, Harry and Gabrielle.

We first met in our twenties. Kieran was always fun to be around, he was witty and mischievous. He had a zest for life, very outgoing but down to earth. He loved walking the dogs on Divis Mountain near where we live. He was even out with the dogs just days before he died on the mountain he loved so much.

Kieran went into Hospice again in late March for six weeks. The care team kept us fully informed about what was happening. This helped Kieran to accept that he was going to die. But he refused to just give up, and he felt inspired by Harry and Gabrielle’s bravery.

At Hospice, we could come and go whenever it suited, as we were keen to try and keep things as normal as possible. It became a home-from-home for us. Gabrielle had her own study table set up in Hospice as she was completing her A-Levels, as well as being busy competing for Antrim Ladies GAA.

Harry was running his own dog training business, following in his father’s footsteps with his love of dogs.

By the end, Kieran needed four syringe drivers for his pain. It was Kieran’s wish to die at home. It would have been easy for the doctors and Specialist Community Nursing Team to have insisted on keeping him in Hospice. But they made it happen because they knew how important it was to him. So, at the end he was at peace, surrounded by the love of family and our twelve dogs. [Kieran died at home on 17th May 2023]


We don’t associate Hospice with trauma, as those last six weeks in Hospice were calm. It was a time of memories and acceptance, not angst. It gave Kieran quality of life in his last few weeks and we even had some moments of fun.