The day the laughter died

Looking back on that painful time, Fiona says that the first year was the worst "but Ben has a great attitude to life. He gets on with things and has a great ability to find the fun in life -- something he shares with his dad. I think, like me, he doesn't see Dermot's death as life doing something to him, it was devastating but it just happened -- there was no reason and it was not done to him. It is difficult to explain."

Fiona says that she was lucky because Ben had a wonderful teacher who welcomed him with open arms when "we moved back to Dublin". She adds that her mum and dad were always nearby. "Ben and I both had so much support during those days. There were days when I would go out and come home to a lit stove in my kitchen, a basket full of logs and a full fridge. My neighbours were incredible and still are a huge source of support and company for me," she says, referring to Shay Healy and his wife Dymphna.


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