Matt Ó Baoill and his family have always loved music.

“I have been a musician for nine years, I am part of a group named Tebi Rex.

“It was the beginning of 2023, and we knew something wasn’t quite right with my Mam. She had ongoing issues with her stomach and she decided to get herself checked out.

“Then in March 2023, she got her final diagnosis of stomach cancer.

“By June, we were told that the treatment wasn’t working and Mam probably only had a few more weeks to live.” Says the Meath local.

“We were lucky enough to be able to get everything in place to be able to bring her home. It was around this time that we connected in with the Irish Cancer Society Night Nursing service.

“It was such wonderful peace of mind for everyone, just to be able to go and get some sleep and rest, but knowing someone who specialises in this is there with her throughout the night. It meant so much to us all.

“It’s probably one of the heaviest things you will ever have to go through, so being able to go away and reset a bit, was so valuable.”

“We were able to ask the nurse questions, she answered everything and offered us reassurance and a level of safety. It’s just such an incredible service.

“In the last few days with Mam, she asked me to write some songs about her. At the time it made me laugh a bit, and I honestly thought I would never be able to. She was my biggest fan, so it didn’t feel right without her.

“Not long after her funeral, the weather drastically changed. The heavens opened up and the rain just poured and poured for days. That’s where the title ‘It’s Raining’ came from.

“During that time I felt the urge to write the song about her. In ways, it was to honour her request and in another way, it was me processing my feelings.

“After a while I decided to release the song, its coming out just ahead of Mother’s Day, on March 8th. In honour of my Mam, with all proceeds going to the Irish Cancer Society, to thank them for their incredible support during a really difficult time.” 💛