Tag Archives: Darkness into Light

DESPITE the impact of Covid-19, Pieta provided 1,712 hours of counselling in 2019 and 2020 in the Clare area and supported 109 local people in 2020. Pieta and Electric Ireland are now urging the people of Clare to share ‘One Sunrise Together’ on May 8 for Darkness into Light. One year on from when the country went into lockdown, Pieta’s services are in demand more than ever and they need the public’s support. Clare people are being encouraged to register at www.darknessintolight.ie to take part in a special Darkness into Light that can unite us all whilst still staying physically apart. This year, participants can walk, run, swim, hike, bike or simply share One Sunrise Together for Darkness Into Light, as organised walks are not possible due to Covid-19 restrictions. Last year when it wasn’t possible to all walk together for Darkness into Light, Pieta faced a funding crisis, but the people of Clare came together as one community and got behind the event, rising at dawn and sharing sunrise moments with others from …

TOMORROW, Saturday May 9th, is the day when Pieta’s largest annual fundraiser, Darkness Into Light, proudly supported by Electric Ireland, was scheduled to take place across five continents. It was expected that over 250,000 people would have walked against suicide and self-harm. Instead, Pieta and Electric Ireland urge the public to come together, while apart, and take part in the Sunrise Appeal – getting up at dawn to enjoy the sunrise, mark the moment and join the fight against suicide and self-harm by donating at darknessintolight.ie. Pieta are also asking people to spread the message and offer hope by sharing their sunrise moment using the hashtag #DIL2020. To get the nation all set for the sunrise start, Friday night’s The Late Late Show is supporting Darkness Into Light too, helping to ensure that Pieta generates the attention and funds it needs to carry out its life-saving work. CEO of Pieta, Elaine Austin is complemented by a star-studded line-up of guests …

AS thousands of people walked through the streets of Ennis to show their support for Darkness Into Light and Pieta House, callous thieves stole from the charity and are continuing to do so, in what has been described as a “heartbreak”. A collection bucket was stolen in the early hours of Saturday morning, May 12 and unsuspecting members of the public are now being targeted by fake collections. Reports have already been received by the Darkness Into Light organising committee in Ennis of a number of fraudulent bucket collections in the county town, Bunratty and Corofin. The matter has been reported to An Garda Síochána and the charity is appealing to members of the public who might suspect a fake collection, that they contact the gardaí. It is understood that the collections are being carried out by a male teenager wearing a blue Pieta House t-shirt. Councillor Mary Howard, one of the organising committee of Darkness Into Light, said, “Pieta …

THE Clare launch of Darkness Into Light 2018 took place in Shannon this week, with walks set to take place in Doolin, Sixmilebridge, Killaloe-Ballina, Ennis and Shannon on May 12. This is Pieta House’s flagship annual fundraising and awareness event and, last year, 180,000 people took part. Nora Conway is clinical manager of the Pieta House Centre in Mungret and she says the event has grown dramatically, showing how people feel about removing any remaining stigma around mental health. “It’s the 10th anniversary of Darkness into Light and, I suppose, from the days when 100 or 150 people would come out, compared to 120,000 nationally, it’s phenomenal. I think it’s a statement, really, that the people of Ireland are making. A statement by coming together, walking shoulder to shoulder and doing what they can to lift the stigma around suicide and self-harm. The more we promote the service, the more we encourage people to ask for help, and the more …

The total number of Clare people who received psychotherapy from a regional suicide prevention centre has increased considerably since it opened four years ago, according to the latest figures. Statistics provided by Pieta House show that the number of Clare clients who attended their regional centre in Mungret, Limerick jumped from 54 in 2011 to 82 last year but that this was a decrease from 2013, when 99 Clare clients attended. Overall, there was a 41% increase in the total number of people in the region experiencing suicidal tendencies who benefited from the centre from 2011 to 2014. Last year, 491 people sought help from the centre, compared to 348 in 2011 and Clare people accounted for almost 17% of those. While the rate of suicide among young males in Ireland is among the highest in the EU, women, it appears, are generally more likely to seek help by attending an intervention centre like Pieta House than their male counterparts. Of …

AN Ennis champion athlete has revealed how running helped him to overcome bouts of depression. Ultra-marathon runner, Keith Whyte, who recently won the 100km ice-marathon in the Antartic, has lauded the work of Pieta House, the self-harm and suicide prevention service. Speaking at the Clare launch of the 2015 events, Mr Whyte urged people to attend the fundraiser in huge numbers. While the 35-year-old athlete never experienced suicidal tendencies, he did suffer from depression in his early 20s and found running helped to lift his mood. In addition to raising vital funds for the charity, he said the Darkness into Light walk would help raise public awareness and general debate about depression, which is still considered something of a taboo subject. “Depression can happen to anyone at any time. I think deep down most people have suffered from depression in some form. A lot depends on a person’s coping skills and having the right people around them to prevent it …