PRESS RELEASE
Investigating Death at Cork Lifelong Learning Festival
Irish Hospice Foundation are hosting three deadly learning events led by participants of its Cork Compassionate Communities community development programme at Cork Lifelong Festival (22nd – 29th April 2026)
Irish Hospice Foundation’s Arts & Cultural Engagement and Public Engagement Teams have been exploring what might make a Compassionate Community in Cork, particularly during the difficult times death, dying, grief, and loss.
Many elements, kind individuals, formal institutions, well-meaning communities, already exist in Cork. They have been exploring what else would help to build support for people through community discussion and workshops during 2025 and 2026. One way is using creativity to facilitate compassionate conversation and learning opportunities in local communities about the practical, the personal, and the less obvious.
Aligned with Cork Lifelong Learning Festival’s motto “Investigate – Participate – Celebrate”, they are looking forward to hosting a series of FREE events in Cork City between Wednesday 22nd April and Wednesday 29th of April 2026 with something for everybody to learn and chat about.
Topic:Talking About Goodbye
Date: Friday 24th April
Times: 3.00pm to 5.00pm
Venue: Dance Cork Firkin Crane
Civil Funeral Celebrants Louise O’Brien (RHEA Family Funeral Care www.rhea.ie) and John Dunlea (www.johndunleacelebrant.com) offer a forthright and informative talk about funeral planning from practicalities to personal preferences by way of some of the less obvious options and choice. Learn more about this event here.
Topic: No Stone Left Unturned – Art in Conversation
Date: Tuesday 28th April
Times: 3.00pm to 5.00pm
Venue: Cork Public Museum
Cork visual artist Katie Drago and genealogist Daniel Loftus in conversation on art, research and how collective action helps us to remember the past. Katie’s work addresses the neglected history of a forgotten mother and baby institution in the town she grew up in – Fermoy.Daniel specialises in Irish genealogy and research into mother and baby homes in Ireland. The findings, compiled by himself and volunteers, are published on his website Project Infant. Learn more about this event here.
Topic: Telling the Bees Death Cafe
Date: Wednesday day 29th April
Times: 1.30pm to 3.30pm
Venue: Maureen’s Pub Cork
Death educator Siofra Hegarty will discuss mortality: our questions, fears, experiences and everything in between. A death café is simply a safe compassionate space to talk openly about mortality, along with sharing thoughts and experiences. This event is ideal for anyone curious about death practices or looking for like-minded people and not afraid to discuss death. Siofra is also offering a cuppa and a bite of cake to aid relaxation and conversation. Learn more about this event here.
For more information, please contact:
- Valerie Smith, Public Engagement Officer, Irish Hospice Foundation
- Elizabeth Hutcheson, Arts & Cultural Engagement, Irish Hospice Foundation
About Irish Hospice Foundation Arts and Cultural Engagement
Since Irish Hospice Foundation’s Arts and Cultural Engagement programme began in 2021, initially with support from the Creative Ireland Programme, they have focused mainly on the bereaved and grieving. In this time, this two-person team have led over 90 collaborative projects and launched a modular education training course exploring the:
- Role of artists in bereavement and death
- Cultural understanding of grief and loss in a diverse society
- Importance of local community for bereavement support
- Impact on care staff where personal and professional grief combine
- Relationship between grief, mental illness, health and wellbeing
Learn more at: www.hospicefoundation.ie/arts
About Irish Hospice Foundation
Irish Hospice Foundation is a national charity dedicated to addressing dying, death, and bereavement in Ireland. Their vision is to provide individuals facing end of life or bereavement, and those who care for them, with the care and support they need. Through advocacy, education, and services like Nurses for Night Care, the Bereavement Support Line, the Caru program for end-of-life care in nursing homes, and the Hospice Friendly Hospital (HFH) programme, which aims to improve of end-of-life care in acute hospitals, the organisation works to ensure that everyone experiences a dignified end-of-life journey and grieving process, wherever the place. Learn more at www.hospicefoundation.ie