The testimonies contained in the first annual report for Embrace FARM provide a stark reminder of the need for the charity and of the vital role it plays. The charity was set up by Brian and Norma Rohan in 2013 to help provide supports for those affected by farm accidents and received its charitable status in 2017.

The testimonies

“Nothing can take the pain away but Embrace FARM helped me face it strong” – Ann Foley

“Embrace FARM helped me to realise I’m not alone and this was my first year to attend a weekend and I felt it helped so much” – Brenda Flynn

“Embrace FARM is a lifeline of hope and support for a future in which none of us involved signed up for” – Louise

The launch

The charity provides a number of supports to those affected and arranged weekends away throughout the year as well as the annual remembrance mass.

Speaking at the launch Mairead McGuiness MEP said she hoped at some point that Embrace FARM would not be needed. She said that would mean the farming sector had "cracked an egg" on the issue of farm accidents. However, she added that to do this the industry needed to take itself "by the scruff of the neck" and tackle the issue head on.

In the report, Brian Rohan referenced a speech made by President Michael D Higgins at an event in 2014 about the lives lost during the troubles, in which he said: “To be forgotten is to die twice.” He said that was the reason Embrace FARM was set up, so that loved ones who lost their lives in farm accidents would never be forgotten.

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