'A constant feature in my life': Julie Helen marks 21 years of writing for The Echo 

I feel honoured to be writing for a special edition of WOW! this week.

Even when I type those words, I think of my Grandad, Denis, who would take me in his car with him to the shop every evening I was around and ‘the paper’ was always ‘The Echo’.

Fast forward to 2003 and I remember telling him I would be writing for the Echo - I’m genuinely not sure that he believed me, until he saw my first article - which appeared 21 years ago this week.

I can still see him sitting at his kitchen table, glancing at a full page spread and back up at me with his signature glint in his eye.

He didn’t really say much, but his little smile stayed with me.

Every week after that, he would comment if I made an error or something. There was never high praise to my face. That was Nan’s job.

I often look back and reflect on writing a column for so long, and what an important and beautiful constant feature it is in my life.

When things go wrong, someone around me will invariably say “at least you’ll make a good story out of this”, and it always makes me smile because they are right!

There were some changes in the last 12 months that have had an impact on my reflections today.

My Nan and cheerleader died in May at 96 and I miss her a lot.

She had been living in a nursing home for a couple of years, but we still sent texts and spoke on the phone often.

I taught her to text when she was 80 and I have some very special messages - many of which included “Great piece in Echo today, I love reading it”.

Nan had as nice and peaceful a death as anyone could wish for, and that was the first time I had experienced a final conversation, actually knowing it was a final conversation of someone I love dearly.

Just before it, I dreaded the moment, but it was actually really lovely.

I realised we had everything we needed to say, said.

We adored each other. I am safe in that knowledge and all our shared history.

I will always miss her, but I am so grateful for the ending we could share.

My stories almost always include the people I love, unless I need the odd political vent or rant. Even then I know my experience of the world is shaped by the relationships I get to be part of.

The little thoughts and deeds of others keep me going and I am truly humbled when readers get in contact to tell me how something I shared makes them feel.

I will always be glad to hear from you, and if you see me out and about in Cork, always feel free to say hello. I’ll be delighted to meet you.

Last year brought cancer treatment to our door again for my Mum, and the challenge that puts before her is never far from my mind.

Diarmuid went through surgery in mid-December and Mum had chemotherapy in a different hospital on the same day ,and my Dad was the glue holding it all together.

Over our whole lives, Mum and Dad have set up the conditions so we all know how to be good people when the chips are down.

This year I have seen their strength more than ever before.

They just do what they need to do and get on with it, and it’s never as easy as they make it look.

Here’s to a brighter 2025.