The loss of a child is an unimaginable pain that most parents fear more than anything else. But for one Cork woman, this devastating experience didn’t lead to the paralysis of grief. Instead, she turned her sorrow into a mission to help others. In the Name of the Son is the story of how Breda O’Sullivan took her unimaginable grief and turned it into a life-saving initiative that has helped hundreds of people in Ireland and beyond. This article explores her journey, the obstacles she overcame and the legacy she has created through her inspiring work.
Mags Riordan, a Cork City resident, has experienced unimaginable tragedy in her life. Losing one child is devastating enough, but Mags lost three of her children. Her third child, Billy, drowned while swimming in Malawi in 1999, but she had a premonition that something terrible had happened to him. Sadly, Mags had already lost two children before Billy. In 1973, her four-month-old daughter, Niamh, drowned when Mags’ car skidded off a pier. Three years later, Luke, only a few months old, died from sudden infant death syndrome.
Although all of the deaths have had a profound impact on Mags, losing Billy was life-changing. Mags moved to Malawi to establish a medical practice in his name. Today, the Billy Riordan Memorial Clinic serves a community of about 16,000 in Cape Maclear, Malawi. The clinic has exceeded all expectations, with young mothers now bringing their children to be treated in the same clinic where they were once patients.
Mags’ passion for humanitarian causes began while she was a student at the University College Cork in the 1970s. She participated in anti-apartheid protests and has maintained her commitment to helping others ever since. Despite experiencing unbearable grief, Mags has demonstrated a quiet ferocity in her work. As her daughter notes, “the burden of grief…she has taken it apart and put it into bricks and mortar”.
In The Name Of The Son, a program aired on RTÉ One, interviews Mags on her work in Malawi. The documentary avoids the trappings of a white savior narrative. Mags and the UCC student doctors who volunteer with her work in partnership with the Malawi community, without imposing their western methodology in treating the locals.
While Billy’s death is not drawn out, Mags maintains peace with his untimely passing. The circumstances surrounding Billy’s death are still unknown, but Mags is content with not obsessing over his passing. The passing of a loved one is a wound that never quite heals, and Mags never forgets her lost children.
This profile of Mags is a testament to her quiet dignity and the continual carrying of grief. It highlights the sacrifices Mags has made, the emotional toll of losing three children, and her unwavering devotion to humanitarian causes. Mags is a true inspiration, and her compassionate heart serves as a lesson about the longevity of grief and the incredible human capacity for empathy and kindness.
