Galway Grief Sherpa Network (GGSN)
The word ‘Sherpa’ in the title, was chosen as a Sherpa, is a skilled guide or companion, who assists and supports climbers, in a difficult terrain, as they are familiar and trained in this journey. A Sherpa’s goal is to companion the climber, up and down the mountain, adding some comfort and safety to this journey.
Grief is often compared to an “emotional mountain, full of ups and downs”. This is where the “Grief Sherpa” companion the bereaved, as they support them to navigate their individual grief journey.
The GGSN, was established in 2024, is a partnership between Galway University Hospital and the various organisations involved in the provision of bereavement support, in Galway City and County. The network member’s work together, to increase awareness of bereavement and awareness of local bereavement services, for the people of that geographical area.
(NOTE: If you live outside the Galway City & County area, you can still contact the relevant listed bereavement support group listed, as you will guided to the contact details of their organization, available outside of Galway City & County, so that you are connected with the correct support you may need).
Our members include both statutory services and Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) (i.e. registered charities). The type of support provided by each organisation varies but organisations generally provide one or more of the following supports:
- phone helpline/support line information (via website
- leaflets and/or events)
- group or one-to-one support (provided by a professional trained peer volunteer or volunteer)
- counselling
- bereavement remembrance events and/or community supports.
All services provided are free.
Get In Touch
For more information about the Galway Grief Sherpa Network please email [email protected]
Current Galway Grief Sherpa Network Members
Bereaved by Suicide
HUGG (Healing Untold Grief Groups)
Charity Number: 20204480
Provides bereavement information and support though their information resources, facilitated peer support groups and events.
Target Group: Adults bereaved by suicide
Website Details: hugg.ie
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 01 513 4048
Pieta House Bereavement Support
Charity Number: 20062026
Supports young people and adults following a loss through suicide.
Target Group: Adults and young people.
Website Details: pieta.ie
Freephone: 081 8111 126.
HSE Resource Officer for Suicide Prevention
Offers advice and support/guidance to communities affected by suicide, including signposting to local and national mental health supports and services. Provides suicide intervention, self-harm and bereavement training programmes, in line with Connecting for Life, Ireland’s National Strategy to Reduce Suicide.
Target Group: Communities affected by suicide.
Website Details: www.nosp.ie and www.westbewell.ie
Email: [email protected] and [email protected]
Freephone: Galway City and West, South County Galway: 091 864 473
North and West County Galway, County Roscommon: 090 666 5071
Bereaved Parents
Anam Cara
Charity Number: 20068592
Supports all bereaved parents regardless of their child’s age or circumstances of their death
Target Group: Bereaved parents.
Website Details: Anamcara.ie
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 085 288 8888
Féileacáin (Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Association of Ireland)
Charity Number: 20077235
Provides bereavement information and support through memory boxes, online resources, helpline, peer support meetings, counselling, training for professionals and remembrance services.
Target Group: Adults and children affected by the death of baby around the time of birth, either recently or long ago.
Website Details: Feileacain.ie
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 085 249 6464
FirstLight
Charity Number: 20017651
Provides crisis intervention and professional psychotherapy service to families that have experienced the sudden, unexpected death of their child if aged from 0 to 18 years
Target Group: Parents and families who have experienced the death of their child.
Website Details: Firstlight.ie
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 01 8732711
A Little Lifetime
Charity Number: 20031688
Provides bereavement information and support through their parent support pack, online and telephone support, professionally facilitated parent support meetings, counselling, online forum, private Facebook groups, creative workshops and remembrance events.
Target Group: Bereaved parents and families where a baby has died and parents who receive a diagnosis of fatal foetal.
Website Details: Alittlelifetime.ie
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 01 8829030
Bereaved Children
Barnardos Children’s Bereavement Service
Charity Number: 20010027
Supports children and their families following traumatic bereavement. Information and advice available to professionals supporting bereaved children.
Target Group: Children and Families; Professionals supporting bereaved children.
Website Details: Barnardos.ie
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 01 473 2110
Hope Space
Charity Number: 20206474
Provides a free one-to-one listening service for grieving children and young people from Galway city and county in a confidential, warm, caring and supportive environment.
Target Group: Children and young people.
Website Details: www.hopespace.ie
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 091 342566 / 087 4667506
Rainbows Ireland
Charity Number: 20036768
Group support for children and young people experiencing grief and loss following a bereavement or parental separation.
Target Group: Children and Young people.
Website Details: rainbowsireland.ie
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 087 351 0898 / National Office 01 4734175
Jacinta’s Smile
Charity Number: 20075385
Provide support for children and young adults who have lost a sibling. They offer various services including Adventure days for siblings to connect and share their experiences in a supportive environment. They also offer subsidized counselling from an established panel of play therapists nationally.
Target Group: Children and young adults.
Website Details: www.jacintassmile.ie
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 090 662 5989 / 087 422 0000
Bereaved Families
The Irish Childhood Bereavement Network
Charity Number: 20013554
Operates a national network for professionals supporting bereaved children. Provides bereavement information through their events, online resources and provides signposting information through their email support service.
Target Group: Professionals, Parents and guardians supporting a bereaved child or young person.
Website Details: Childhoodbereavement.ie
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 01 679 3188
Bereaved Adults
Bethany Bereavement Support Service
Charity Number: 20036829
Provides bereavement support through their facilitated peer support groups, individual support and telephone support.
Target Group: Adults bereaved through any circumstances
Website Details: Bethany.ie
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 087 9905 299
National Bereavement Support Line (Irish Hospice Foundation and HSE)
Charity Number: 20013554
Provide a national bereavement freephone service which provides information and support for bereaved adults and information for professionals (10am to 1pm, Monday to Friday). Rosabel’s Rooms is a national initiative, supports bereaved parents and families all over Ireland through the Rosabel’s Room to Heal, Rosabel’s Room to Talk and Rosabel’s Rooms.
Target Group: Adults and Professionals
Website Details: hospicefoundation.ie
Email: [email protected]
Freephone: 1800 80 70 77
National Counselling Service
The National Counselling Service (NCS) provides free counselling to people age 18 or older who have a medical card.
Target Group: Adult clients
Website Details: www.hse.ie
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 091 528 030
Bereaved Suddenly
AdVIC – Advocates for Victims of Homicide
Charity Number: 200 58975
Provide professional counselling to families and friends including adults, young children and adolescents bereaved by homicide.
Target Group: Families and adults bereaved by homicide.
Website Details: www.advic.ie
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 1800 852 000
CRY Cardiac Risk in the Young
Charity Number: 20047511
Supports individuals and families affected by Sudden Cardiac Death, Sudden Adult Death Syndrome and those living with an inherited cardiac condition
Target Group: Families and Individuals affected by Sudden Cardiac Death and/or an inherited cardiac condition.
Website Details: Cry.ie
Email: [email protected]
Phone: Elaine Whelan Family Support Coordinator 087 2174 205 or 01-4142235
Embrace Farm
Charity Number: 20149956
A support network for farm families who have lost a loved one or suffered a serious injury.
Target Group: Farm Families Nationwide.
Website Details: Embracefarm.com
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 057 8510 555 / 085 77 09 966
Irish Road Victims Association
Charity Number: 20100070
Provides bereavement information and support through their 24-hour helpline, online resources and facilitated online support group meetings.
Target Group: Adults bereaved by a traffic collision
Website Details: irva.ie
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 086 863 4194
Support After Homicide
Charity Number: 20069803
Provide emotional support, information and practical assistance and engages therapeutically with the bereaved in their homes.
Target Group: Adults bereaved by homicide
Website Details: Supportafterhomicide.ie
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 087 983 7322
Bereaved By Cancer
Cancer Care West
Charity Number: 20030438
Provide bereavement support to adults, families and children’s affected by cancer.
Target Group: Adults, families and children affected by cancer.
Website Details: www.cancercarewest.ie
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 091 540 040
East Galway & Midlands Cancer Support Centre
Charity Number: 20080853
Provide a network of psychological and emotional support for those diagnosed or bereaved by cancer.
Target Group: Anyone diagnosed with cancer.
Website Details: www.egmcancersupport.com
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 090 9897 111
Gort Cancer Support
Charity Number: 20075927
Provide support & practical assistance, confidential, equitable and high-quality community-based cancer support service that promotes holistic for anyone affected by cancer.
Target Group: Anyone affected by a cancer diagnosis in the South Galway area.
Website Details:www.gortcancersupport.ie
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 091 648 606 or 086 1724 500
Hand in Hand
Charity Number: 20063887
Provide practical and emotional support to families affected by a childhood cancer diagnosis nationwide. Practical supports are available throughout active treatment and our emotional supports are available during treatment and post -treatment or up to two years for bereaved families.
Target Group: Children, Adolescents & Adults.
Website Details: www.handinhandcharity.ie
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 086 0675 440
Tuam Cancer Care
Charity Number: 20044046
Tuam Cancer Care provides emotional, psychological and practical support to people with a cancer diagnosis and to their families. All services are free of charge
Target Group: People with a cancer diagnosis and their family members.
Website Details: www.tuamcancercare.ie
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 093 28522
Hospitals and Hospices
Galway Hospice Foundation
Charity Number: 20022150
Individual bereavement counselling to adults and children, group work with adults, children and families, Remembrance Services, Walk & Talk Peer Support Group, Bereavement Café and telephone support.
Target Group: Adults, Children and Families who have been bereaved by the loss of someone under the care of Galway Hospice.
Website Details: galwayhospice.ie/bereavement-support-service/
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 091 770 868
Galway University Hospital
Provide practical Bereavement support/guidance and if needed sign-posting for ongoing bereavement supports, that are available to bereaved families, whose loved one die in Galway University Hospital.
Target Group: Anyone bereaved by a death that has taken place a Galway University Hospital.
Website Details: www.hse.ie
Phone: Bereavement Liaison Officer: 087 9684271
Bereavement Support Midwife: 087 7712329
LauraLynn – Ireland’s Children’s Hospice
Provide bereavement support through one to one, group support, and creative arts/therapeutic music for children and families throughout their journey of life limiting illness, end of life and post death.
Target Group: Families whose child has a life limiting illness who is supported though illness, end of life, and death by LauraLynn Hospice.
Website Details: lauralynn.ie
Phone: 01 2893151
