Episode 3 - Miriam O’Callaghan on Anger, Faith and Choosing Joy

In this powerful episode of Parting Words, Miriam O’Callaghan speaks openly about the losses that changed her life forever. She reflects on the death of her sister Anne at just 33, the sudden passing of their father weeks later, and the anger, faith and perspective that shaped her in the years that followed.

Miriam shares the moment her worldview collapsed, the graveside promise that transformed how she lives, and why she refuses to spend a single second worrying about death. It’s an honest, uplifting and deeply human conversation filled with light, laughter and hard‑won wisdom.

The episode closes with a poem by Gerard Devine, exploring what it means to be Irish and the beauty woven through everyday life.

What is Parting Words?

Parting Words, from Rip.ie, and proudly sponsored by An Post Insurance, is a podcast about the messages we leave behind.​ Through personal stories, music, and reflection, we explore how grief shapes us and how parting words can echo long after goodbye.​
Each episode invites a well-known guest (artist, broadcaster, athlete, thinker) to reflect on someone they’ve lost, share the soundtrack of their mourning, and imagine the final message they’d leave behind — with warmth, wit, and wisdom.