From Cork to Christchurch, Athlone to Abu Dubai and even on the beaches of Bondi, a sea of yellow T-shirts will walk into the dawn. There will be tears, there will be laughter, but everyone there has one mission – to raise awareness about suicide and mental health.
It’s an issue that deserves more and more attention and the Irish people agree. The event started off eight years ago with 400 people in the Phoenix Park, but this year on Saturday 7 May over 110,000 people will be involved in walks across the world.
“Suicide and mental health affects so many families, so many friends,” says Joan Freeman, founder of Pieta House, who highlights that, for many, the 5k walk can be the start of the healing process.
“You know, people start that morning and there is a collective sense of grief. Some are thinking about their own mental health, while others are there because of a loved one that passed away. It’s reflective and it can be emotional.
“However, as the walk picks up pace, that grief emerges as a collective sense of hope which lasts long beyond the finished line. In fact, we carried out research on 2,000 people in Limerick last year before and after the walk and the findings were incredible – they felt so positive afterwards.”
The symbolism of walking into the light makes the event so poignant.
“The hour before dawn can often be the darkest, just like the last hours before someone takes their life. But as I said as I welcomed people to the walk in 2013, that person that passed away isn’t walking beside us on that morning, they are walking ahead of us and it is because of them that they will lead us from the darkness into the light.”
Joan says she herself gets emotional at the event.
“Really, I would be at the pin of my collar trying not to cry, not just because of the collective grief, but the collective hope. I remember at one walk looking down at the crowds and seeing a young boy with his Pieta House T-shirt was down past his knees because he was so small and on the back it read: ‘I’m doing this for my Daddy.’ It caught me off guard.
“It’s overwhelming, the children overwhelm me each year because it gives me so much hope that these kids will never be afraid to say the word ‘suicide’ or to seek help because we’re taking the stigma out of it.”
Another memory that stands out in Joan’s mind is when she took a moment, hiding behind a tree in the Phoenix Park, watching people as they passed: “I saw a woman with her rosary beads, praying as she walked. Behind her were two lads with cans of beer chatting away and on the back of their T-shirts it said: ‘We’re doing this for Darren.’
“No matter who is walking, everyone is there for a collective issue and, you know, it has gone completely out of our hands now. The Irish people have made it their own.”
For more information, log on to www.darknessintolight.ie or www.pietahouse.eventgrid.com
Case study: Lighting Up Tralee
Having lost friends to suicide and battled anxiety himself, Colin Aherne, Chairman of Tralee Darkness Into Light knows the importance of services like Pieta House, writes Maria Moynihan.
Friends' star Matt Le Blanc, BBC broadcaster Chris Evans, Love/Hate actor Tom Vaughan Lawlor, Roses of Tralee Elysha Brennan and Maria Walsh- and even The Rubberbandits- are just some of the celebrities who have shown their support for the first Darkness Into Light walk to take place in Tralee this year.
And that’s thanks to the powers of persuasion of Colin Aherne (33) who is passionate about challenging the stigma around mental health, having lost friends to suicide and also overcoming his own battle with anxiety.
“Bringing Darkness Into Light to Tralee is a massive step to changing the stigma in Tralee,” says the DIL Tralee chair. “With Pieta House opening in Tralee in March 2015, it was key to have it here.
“I have lost friends to suicide and I knew no one was talking about mental health. All you hear is people dying by suicide, so I took it upon myself to see if I could make even a slight change.
“I was diagnosed with anxiety in October 2015 and I know how it feels when you get into a bad place. My health was my main mental health issue, but when I got diagnosed, it was not easy. There were days when people would think I was grumpy and would never salute on the street, but little did they know I was feeling awful in general and anxious all over. Never judge anyone, as anxiety comes and goes without warning and can last a day, a week or never stop. I have suffered most of my life not knowing what it was, but when I realised that help is there, I went and got it, saw a counsellor and tried to figure why I had it, because it had to come from some place and when I found out, I worked on those issues . Don't ever be ashamed to seek help; it's the best step I ever took. It’s not easy at first but it definitely gets better. Loads of services are available, like Pieta House, Console, Aware and Jigsaw Kerry.
“It's ok not to feel ok and it's absolutely ok to ask for help. I urge people who are struggling to seek help and don't be afraid.”
Indeed, this point was reiterated at the launch of DIL Tralee by manager of Pieta House Tralee, Nora Conway.
“Pieta House are encouraging people not to be afraid to ask for help,” says Nora, who explains that the organisation has seen children from as young as six to people in their 70s and beyond.
“We are a professional counselling services with ten years experience in the area of suicide and self harm. The referral pathway is very simple: one can make an appointment for themselves or can ask a friend or loved one to make an appointment on their behalf.
“The centre here in Kerry is a credit to the people of Kerry's generosity and goodwill in ensuring together we reduce deaths by suicide and move people from self-harm to self-care. It is crucial to create awareness and get the message to all corners of Kerry that we now have Pieta House in Kerry.”
Darkness Into Light will start at CBS, The Green at 4.15am on Saturday 7 May and follow a 5km route through Tralee. While organising the event has taken up a huge amount of Colin’s own time, he knows it will be worth it.
“If one person walks in or picks up the phone to Pieta House, all that work is paid off,”” he says, thanking his fellow committee members and sponsors for their support.
Participants can register online at dil.pieta.ie or follow the DIL Facebook page www.facebook.com/DilTralee or call Colin on 087-350-4943 for details on how to register in person before the event.
Pieta House Tralee is located at 28 Moyderwell. Call 066-716-3660.
From Cork to Christchurch, Athlone to Abu Dubai and even on the beaches of Bondi, a sea of yellow T-shirts will walk into the dawn. There will be tears, there will be laughter, but everyone there has one mission – to raise awareness about suicide and mental health.
It’s an issue that deserves more and more attention and the Irish people agree. The event started off eight years ago with 400 people in the Phoenix Park, but this year on Saturday 7 May over 110,000 people will be involved in walks across the world.
“Suicide and mental health affects so many families, so many friends,” says Joan Freeman, founder of Pieta House, who highlights that, for many, the 5k walk can be the start of the healing process.
“You know, people start that morning and there is a collective sense of grief. Some are thinking about their own mental health, while others are there because of a loved one that passed away. It’s reflective and it can be emotional.
“However, as the walk picks up pace, that grief emerges as a collective sense of hope which lasts long beyond the finished line. In fact, we carried out research on 2,000 people in Limerick last year before and after the walk and the findings were incredible – they felt so positive afterwards.”
The symbolism of walking into the light makes the event so poignant.
“The hour before dawn can often be the darkest, just like the last hours before someone takes their life. But as I said as I welcomed people to the walk in 2013, that person that passed away isn’t walking beside us on that morning, they are walking ahead of us and it is because of them that they will lead us from the darkness into the light.”
Joan says she herself gets emotional at the event.
“Really, I would be at the pin of my collar trying not to cry, not just because of the collective grief, but the collective hope. I remember at one walk looking down at the crowds and seeing a young boy with his Pieta House T-shirt was down past his knees because he was so small and on the back it read: ‘I’m doing this for my Daddy.’ It caught me off guard.
“It’s overwhelming, the children overwhelm me each year because it gives me so much hope that these kids will never be afraid to say the word ‘suicide’ or to seek help because we’re taking the stigma out of it.”
Another memory that stands out in Joan’s mind is when she took a moment, hiding behind a tree in the Phoenix Park, watching people as they passed: “I saw a woman with her rosary beads, praying as she walked. Behind her were two lads with cans of beer chatting away and on the back of their T-shirts it said: ‘We’re doing this for Darren.’
“No matter who is walking, everyone is there for a collective issue and, you know, it has gone completely out of our hands now. The Irish people have made it their own.”
For more information, log on to www.darknessintolight.ie or www.pietahouse.eventgrid.com
Case study: Lighting Up Tralee
Having lost friends to suicide and battled anxiety himself, Colin Aherne, Chairman of Tralee Darkness Into Light knows the importance of services like Pieta House, writes Maria Moynihan.
Friends' star Matt Le Blanc, BBC broadcaster Chris Evans, Love/Hate actor Tom Vaughan Lawlor, Roses of Tralee Elysha Brennan and Maria Walsh- and even The Rubberbandits- are just some of the celebrities who have shown their support for the first Darkness Into Light walk to take place in Tralee this year.
And that’s thanks to the powers of persuasion of Colin Aherne (33) who is passionate about challenging the stigma around mental health, having lost friends to suicide and also overcoming his own battle with anxiety.
“Bringing Darkness Into Light to Tralee is a massive step to changing the stigma in Tralee,” says the DIL Tralee chair. “With Pieta House opening in Tralee in March 2015, it was key to have it here.
“I have lost friends to suicide and I knew no one was talking about mental health. All you hear is people dying by suicide, so I took it upon myself to see if I could make even a slight change.
“I was diagnosed with anxiety in October 2015 and I know how it feels when you get into a bad place. My health was my main mental health issue, but when I got diagnosed, it was not easy. There were days when people would think I was grumpy and would never salute on the street, but little did they know I was feeling awful in general and anxious all over. Never judge anyone, as anxiety comes and goes without warning and can last a day, a week or never stop. I have suffered most of my life not knowing what it was, but when I realised that help is there, I went and got it, saw a counsellor and tried to figure why I had it, because it had to come from some place and when I found out, I worked on those issues . Don't ever be ashamed to seek help; it's the best step I ever took. It’s not easy at first but it definitely gets better. Loads of services are available, like Pieta House, Console, Aware and Jigsaw Kerry.
“It's ok not to feel ok and it's absolutely ok to ask for help. I urge people who are struggling to seek help and don't be afraid.”
Indeed, this point was reiterated at the launch of DIL Tralee by manager of Pieta House Tralee, Nora Conway.
“Pieta House are encouraging people not to be afraid to ask for help,” says Nora, who explains that the organisation has seen children from as young as six to people in their 70s and beyond.
“We are a professional counselling services with ten years experience in the area of suicide and self harm. The referral pathway is very simple: one can make an appointment for themselves or can ask a friend or loved one to make an appointment on their behalf.
“The centre here in Kerry is a credit to the people of Kerry's generosity and goodwill in ensuring together we reduce deaths by suicide and move people from self-harm to self-care. It is crucial to create awareness and get the message to all corners of Kerry that we now have Pieta House in Kerry.”
Darkness Into Light will start at CBS, The Green at 4.15am on Saturday 7 May and follow a 5km route through Tralee. While organising the event has taken up a huge amount of Colin’s own time, he knows it will be worth it.
“If one person walks in or picks up the phone to Pieta House, all that work is paid off,”” he says, thanking his fellow committee members and sponsors for their support.
Participants can register online at dil.pieta.ie or follow the DIL Facebook page www.facebook.com/DilTralee or call Colin on 087-350-4943 for details on how to register in person before the event.
Pieta House Tralee is located at 28 Moyderwell. Call 066-716-3660.
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