Thousands of people across Ireland and the world have attended Darkness Into Light events organised by the suicide and self harm prevention charity Pieta.
Just before sunrise, attendees gathered and walked together in a show of solidarity with those who are suffering. Most had also been fundraising hard beforehand and the money raised will be used by Pieta to fund its services.
“The first event this morning at a quarter past four started in New Zealand and just came right across the time zones,” Tom McEvoy, the charity’s Funding and Advocacy Manager, told Newstalk.
“And the last event has just finished in Vancouver in Canada.
“It all started in the Phoenix Park in 2009 when 400 people gathered and to think that we are now dealing with a major global movement against the stigma around looking out for mental health.”
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The charity says lockdowns were extremely difficult for many people and that calls to its crisis helpline soared by more 40% in 2021 compared to the previous year.
One woman who was out in Galway to see the sunrise was Pieta house ambassador Gráinne Seoige and she said the event had had an almost spiritual quality to it:
“The first thing to say is that it was a beautiful morning, absolutely gorgeous,” Ms Seoige told The Anton Savage Show.
“It was so calm… no rain, no drizzle even, no soft day thank God! None of that, it was really, really lovely.
“It was cool but that’s perfect when you’re walking over an hour because you’re gonna have layers on.”
07/05/2022 Pieta House’s annual Darkness Into Light fundraising and awareness event. Picture by: Leah Farrell/RollingNews.She continued:
“The one thing I kind of felt, particularly as we walked in the dark, people were having their own little chats, as people do when they’re walking.
“It had a feeling of pilgrimage about it all.
“Almost people harking back to a spiritual kind of a thing but I think this year in particular, after the few years we’ve had, everyone has a fuller understanding of mental health I think and the challenges that people go through.
“I think these last few years have opened everybody’s eyes and dialled up their compassion for how people suffer and I think that’s why so many people took part this morning.
“There were thousands in Galway, there’s no doubt about it.
“You could just feel they wanted people to know they were supporting them and in a kind of, ‘There but for the grace of God go I' as well.”
If you are struggling at any time you can call Pieta for free on 1800 247 247 at any time of the day.
Main image: Darren and Lorna Hayden pictured in Greystones Co Wicklow taking part in Pieta’s Darkness Into Light 2021. Picture by: Andres Poveda
