16 pairs of stunningly stylish pyjama sets that you’ll want to wear all day long
16 pairs of stunningly stylish pyjama sets that you’ll want to wear all day long

Sarah Gill

Sous Chef at Dubh Cafe & Restaurant Laura Farrell on her affinity with all things foodie
Sous Chef at Dubh Cafe & Restaurant Laura Farrell on her affinity with all things...

Sarah Gill

Six IMAGE staffers on their go-to self-care rituals
Six IMAGE staffers on their go-to self-care rituals

Sarah Gill

This spatchcock chicken recipe will make your weekend
This spatchcock chicken recipe will make your weekend

Meg Walker

Loot: The Dublin concept store on how to shop vintage in Ireland
Loot: The Dublin concept store on how to shop vintage in Ireland

Katie-Ruby Robinson

Five binge-worthy miniseries to stream this weekend
Five binge-worthy miniseries to stream this weekend

Sarah Gill

8 inspiring quotes from the IMAGE PwC Businesswoman of the Year Awards 2022
8 inspiring quotes from the IMAGE PwC Businesswoman of the Year Awards 2022

IMAGE

I went behind the scenes of the ‘Derry Girls’ season 3 premiere
I went behind the scenes of the ‘Derry Girls’ season 3 premiere

Sarah Finnan

Tried & Tested: An honest review of a wardrobe detox (from a self-confessed clothes hoarder)
Tried & Tested: An honest review of a wardrobe detox (from a self-confessed clothes hoarder)

Sarah Finnan

Forget Bieber v Gomez, we should be lifting women up, not tearing them down
Forget Bieber v Gomez, we should be lifting women up, not tearing them down

Sarah Finnan

Image / Agenda / Breaking Stories

President Higgins announces death of beloved dog Síoda


By Jennifer McShane
20th Sep 2020
President Higgins announces death of beloved dog Síoda

It says a lot about Ireland as a nation, that we can collectively mourn the loss of a pet, a beloved creature which was not ours, but associated with people that bring us comfort in times of strife and difficulty


Read not the odd scornful posts on social media which imply that we should have better things to worry and be sad about than the loss of a dog. There are, and we do. But it, thankfully, didn’t stop the outpouring of sadness that followed the news of the passing of President Michael D Higgins’ beloved dog Síoda.

One of a pair of Bernese mountain dogs, Síoda (a female) with Bród (a male) had been a popular double act at Áras an Uachtaráin welcoming dignitaries and members of the public to the President’s residence.

The news was first detailed in an Áras newsletter, which said: “Sadly, we must report that Síoda has passed away after a short illness”.

No matter the occasion, one or both dogs could be seen frequently pottering up to Higgins (sometimes mid-speech) for a trusty rub or cuddle. They were synonymous with happy occasions, and dare I say, a sign of more normal times. To see them with our president felt reassuring; a reminder that life goes on.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by President Michael D. Higgins (@presidentirl) on

Because even now, in the midst of a pandemic, our pets, just like our children, mean life will and does go on regardless. They need care, devotion, attention. Covid-19 or not, their world, their needs remain unchanged and we have to keep going, even on the bad days, for them as we do for each other.

Perhaps that’s why Síoda’s passing struck such a chord. Such is the unpredictability of life, of this pandemic, there will always be elements we can’t control – and planning, control, what we have always known to be our normal, is what we long for even more now. Bród is without his companion, though we hope it won’t be too long before he has one alongside him in the Big House.

“The dogs are not merely ice-breakers, they’re also a great source of wisdom, and they must be protected from the stresses of the Anthropocene,” Higgins said of them previously.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by President Michael D. Higgins (@presidentirl) on


It is okay to mourn the loss of Síoda, of something we once associated with our lives pre-Covid.

She will be missed.

Main photograph: @presidentirl