The annual Carpe Diem Sing and Play concert remembers the life of Eimear Noonan and funds music education in the west of Ireland. Eimear was a talented young musician who tragically died in an accident three years ago at the age of just 21. Eimear's mother Mary Noonan wrote to Ryan Tubridy three years ago, to share her appreciation for the support she and her family received from their community. On Wednesday, Ryan spoke to Mary to find out how the Noonan family have been getting on since they lost Eimear in November 2017. 

"She was smitten by France from a very early age. She loved the French and she loved the way of life, she loved the idea that they took three hours to have their lunch. And that would suit her." 

Her love of all things French took Eimear and her violin to a small town called Annonay in France to work in a school.  

"She was great fun. She loved the craic. She just did an almighty lot of giggling for the first twenty-one years of her life." 

Although Eimear knew nobody in the town when she went out there, it wasn't long before she found what Mary calls "her tribe", when she met French people playing Irish music. 

"She just went to stay in an Airbnb and it turned out that they were one of the few people in that town who held a session once a month playing Irish music. It was just mad." 

Mary and Eimear kept in constant touch while she was in France and one Wednesday evening in November, Mary hadn't heard from Eimear, she started to wonder if maybe there was a problem with her phone. Mary didn't have any contacts with anyone in Annonay, but she managed to get in touch with the Airbnb people who organised the monthly session. She asked them to go to Eimear's apartment and check if she was there. Unknown to Mary at the time, the Airbnb people found the apartment empty and contacted the police.  

"By Friday evening we were aware that there was something wrong and that she was missing. This was now the 10th. And we had to report her missing here of course in Ireland. And we were literally getting on the plane in Dublin when they announced that somebody had been found." 

Eimear was a keen runner and, while out running in woods around Annonay, she had a terrible accident. 

"What they've established was that when she was running, that she possibly tripped on a hidden root, you know, with eighteen inches of leaves, and it kind of catapulted her forward and she went down a ravine into what at that point was a stream… And there was one rock there and she hit her head off the rock and that was the end of – yeah." 

The French authorities initially feared the worst in terms of what had happened, but it became clear that there was no foul play involved, something that was a great relief to Mary and everyone who knew Eimear. 

The aftermath of Eimear's death was enormously difficult for the Noonan family and, despite the terrific support they received, Mary told Ryan that they ultimately had to work through their grief themselves: 

"Certain things that people say, like, you know, 'you'll get over it'. The word 'over' is completely wrong, it should never be used in this situation." 

Ryan and Mary's conversation is joyous, heart-breaking and funny. You can hear it all by going here. 

The Carpe Diem Sing and Play concert can't happen this year for obvious reasons, instead the Carpe Diem Sing and Play challenge is happening online. You can find details on the Carpe Diem Twitter page or go to eimearnoonanmusicbursaryaward.net. 

Niall Ó Sioradáin