“It’s Mother’s Day next Sunday,” I offered. Another of our group described being in her mid-20s and sorting out her mother’s belongings after her premature death. Hilary Fannin: 'Mother’s Day is a blunt old instrument'Mother’s Day is a blunt old instrument. What is Mother’s Day to the women I have known throughout my life who until so recently found themselves taking the lonely boat to Holyhead or the brisk flight to Stansted? I think about being mothered and being a mother and, let’s face it, it’s difficult and messy territory.

Source: The Irish Times March 15, 2026 09:00 UTC