More than 31,000 family carers across Galway are providing round-the-clock care for loved ones who are ill, elderly or have additional needs.

Often unpaid, unseen and exhausted, these family carers hold their families together under immense pressure and isolation. They form the backbone of our communities and our health services — yet many are struggling in silence.

To recognise and support them, Family Carers Ireland is urging the public to buy a Heart of Gold pin for just €2. The campaign runs throughout June, culminating in Heart of Gold Day on Thursday next, June 12, during National Carers Week.

Each €2 gold heart sold helps towards funding essential services for family carers, including respite breaks, counselling, the National Freephone Careline, local drop-in centres, peer support groups, and training.

These are not just services — they are lifelines that help family carers cope with the daily realities of their role. This year the  Heart of Gold campaign is supported by Lidl Ireland, with gold hearts available in all 186 Lidl stores nationwide during the month of June.

“Caring doesn’t stop — it doesn’t clock off at 5pm,” said Michelle Moriarty, Family Carers Ireland’s Community Support Manager in Galway.

“In every town and parish in Galway, someone is quietly providing full-time care with little or no support. We regularly see family carers pushed to breaking point — financially strained, emotionally drained and completely isolated.

“Buying a gold heart might seem like a small gesture, but it’s genuinely meaningful. €2 won’t fix everything, but it can help towards providing the respite, counselling or urgent support a family carer desperately needs.”

To learn more, donate, or access support, visit www.familycarers.ie.

Pictured: ‘Caring doesn’t clock off at 5pm’: Michelle Moriarty, Family Carers Ireland’s Community Support Manager in Galway.