Eileen Loughlin has recalled the pain and grief of losing her daughter Annabel and shared the importance of keeping her memory alive
Eileen and Annabel
An influencer from Westmeath has opened up on the tragic loss of her three-year-old daughter – and how she is keeping her memory alive.
Eileen Loughlin and her husband, former Westmeath hurler Enda Loughlin, had their lives turned upside down in 2018 when their daughter Annabel died in tragic circumstances.
An accident at home left Annabel with severe trauma to the head, which she sadly did not survive, reports RSVP Live.
Opening up about the loss of Annabel while speaking to Muireann O’Connell and Tommy Bowe on Ireland AM, Eileen said: “Annabel was our gorgeous three-and-half year old girl.
Eileen Loughlin on Ireland AM(Image: Instagram/irelandamvmtv)
“Anyone with small kids will know the fun and joy she brought to our lives, she was full of adventure, she was a divil.
“Her brother TJ was six at the time, they were stuck together. She was just a great character.”
Commenting on the circumstances of Annabel’s death, Eileen said: “It was a normal Friday morning. The kids had friends down.
“All of a sudden, there was an accident in our home. I heard a loud bang in our sitting room and from there our lives just changed forever.
“Annabel had severe trauma to her head. The ambulance came, Annabel was airlifted to Temple Street.
“That was about 10 o’clock and about by ten to three that day we were brought in and I honestly thought, ‘They’ll tell us she’s okay,’ but they said, ‘Annabel’s going to die, you need to say goodbye,’ and our lives just changed forever.”
Almost seven years on from Annabel’s death, Eileen spoke about how her life has changed and how she has navigated grief after such a tragic loss.
“She was there that morning, she was gone that evening,” she said.
“It’s seven years this November and life has changed and the grieving process has changed.
“The boys [sons TJ and Senan] have grown up, we’ve since had another little girl Isla so life still keeps going, you’ve no choice.
“Anyone going through grief will know it’s really difficult to watch the world continue but, gradually, you go from living day to day, and then week to week, month to month.”
Eileen has written a children’s book, Annabel’s Adventures at the Beach, as she believes in the importance of keeping her memory alive.
“She only had three and a half years to make her mark and I feel like we can continue to keep her memory alive for us, the boys,” she explained.
“It was a huge worry in the beginning, but now I know seven years on she is so remembered by so many people.
“Not all of us get tomorrow, Annabel didn’t, so get up and make the most of it.”
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