Life

Radio review: Sorting the practicalities of death

Nuala McCann

Nuala McCann

Nuala McCann is an Irish News columnist and writes a weekly radio review.

Nuala McCann
Nuala McCann Nuala McCann

Death: Don’t leave it to the last minute – RTE Documentary on One

Gray Cahill lives in a small house in Dundrum with her dog, Mollyo.

Her house has a yellow door – it’s hard to miss – and that’s where she holds her monthly poker games with her friends.

She may be 81, but she doesn’t plan on dying any time soon, it’s just that she’s putting her plans in place.

This was a heart warming documentary about a woman who has lived life and is unerringly practical about what is to come.

On a visit to her GP, she mentioned about planning for “end of life” matters and was offered a leaflet full of practical advice.

When she rang to make an appointment to see her GP again, it turned out that her doctor was ill and died a short time later.

It was Gray who approached RTE about this documentary – and we followed her to the solicitor to make a will and to the undertaker who told Gray not to rush and reassured her that she wouldn’t be “left on top”.

She viewed a plot and went to Trinity to talk about donating her body to medicine.

Gray is as unique as her yellow door. She’s an American who was chastised as a child by a nun for being too independent, but who cherishes that quality.

She was a Sister of Mercy after leaving school and stayed until she was 31, when she leapt the wall and then came to Ireland.

It was only meant to be a year but she stayed.

She celebrated turning 60 by getting her Masters in Women’s Studies from UCD.

Yes, this was a documentary about the practicalities of sorting your life before death.

But it was also about living a life – savouring life, sucking every last juicy morsel out of life – and putting your affairs in order to ease the anguish for those you love and leave behind.