What started in grief over a decade ago ended with quiet dignity recently when the members of a GAA-inspired mental health support group in South Galway wrapped up their work by handing over a sizeable cheque to the West of Ireland Suicide Research Alliance.
The Gort & South Galway Mental Health Awareness & Support Group was the brainchild of Enda Linnane back in 2014, inspired to bring others together to find help give mental health issues appropriate attention within the community.
Enda and his family suffered pain and great loss when his 19-year-old brother Raymond was killed in a road traffic accident at Coole outside Gort, on September 22 1996.
Then, the South Galway community was again rocked by tragedy when Galway and Kilbeacanty hurler Niall Donohue committed suicide on October 22 2013.
Enda drew on his friends and GAA network – and the Gort & South Galway Mental Health Awareness & Support Group came into being.
Nine clubs signed up – Gort, Beagh, St Thomas’s, Kinvara, Ardrahan, Kilbeacanty, Balindereen, Clarinbridge and Craughwell.
He got the full support of the then-Galway Hurling Board chairman Joe Byrne and then-manager of the Galway senior hurlers Anthony Cunningham.
The intention then was to put in place a professional counselling intervention programme to address mental health issues – and to train individuals to help to identify health difficulties and direct these individuals to the appropriate and available services.
The group met again in November 2014 when counselling personnel from a national organisation promoting mental health attended.
Enda was elected chairperson of the group, with a committee that included Gerry Finnerty (PRO), John John Commins, the late Michel T. Linnane, John & David Quinn, trustee & joint treasurer Brigid Quinn, Graham Hunt, trustee & secretary Jerry Sheehan,. Sylvie Linnane Snr, Tadhg Linnane, trustee Pearse Piggott, Trustee & joint treasurer Tom & Teresa Helebert, Joe Byrne, Wayne Walsh and April Dooley.
The committee was later joined by Audrey Slevin, Brendan Gantley, Martha Neilan, Ross O’Donnell, the late Dermot Flaherty, Shane Counihan, Rose Connors, Mary Moloney, John Neilan, Michael Coen, Niall Gillane, Patrick Healy, Brendan Mahoney, larla Tannian, John McGann, Pauline Cahill, Joe Murphy and Shane Mc Clearn, Killimor.
Enda wanted to see four personnel trained in each club. Two such training sessions were held in Sullivans’ Hotel, Gort, with talks given by professionals practicing in the field of mental health and wellbeing.
Funds would be principally raised from a challenge game in Gort on December 28 2014 involving the Galway senior hurler under the management of Anthony Cunningham and a county selection under the management of Sylvie Linnane, John John Commins, Tom Helebert and Pearse Piggott.
But circumstances outside of the control of the committee derailed their longer-term ambitions, and last January, a meeting of the officers and members was held to discuss the group’s intentions regarding the finances.
Donations had been made to ‘Kinvara Alive’, which raises awareness about wellbeing and mental health in the local community and to the Kilbeacanty ‘Be Well’ Programme, which is dedicated to improving and maintaining good mental and physical well-being in their club and community.
That left a sum of €15,010.63 in the group’s account at Gort Credit Union Ltd, and although cash intake had exceeded €17,000, expenses for refreshments, advertising, printing, and two professional mental health awareness talks given to over 80 attendees justified the balance.
A cheque for the net proceeds was handed over in favour of West of Ireland Suicide Research Alliance (WolSRA).
As this organisation does not have statutory authorisation to hold a financial institution account, the funding is thereby entrusted into the care and under the supervision and management of the Galway University Foundation, and for the exclusive benefit of the WolSRA.
Additionally, a cheque for €5,000 was received from a private donor from within the Gort group membership, bringing the total above the €20,000 target for WolSRA – and this cheque was also handed over on the occasion to bring the curtain down on a project that started life as a proactive response to devastating events in the community.
Pictured: Members of the Gort & South Galway Mental Health Awareness & Support Group handing over the remains of their funds as they wrap up activities. Picture are (from left) Gerry Finnerty, Sylvie Linnane, chairperson Enda Linnane, Jerry Sheehan, Brigid Quinn; Dr. John Bogue, Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology, University of Galway; Dr. Shane McInerney, Consultant General Adult Psychiatrist; Pearse Piggott; Mary O’Sullivan, Research Officer for Suicide Prevention, HSE; Donal Moloney, HSE; Gort GAA treasurer Lorraine Diviney, and John Commins.
