Five suicides confirmed in Galway the previous weekend
Hundreds of people took to the streets of Galway at the weekend to celebrate life and to pray for lost loved ones, following a large number of suicides in the city in recent weeks.
The Walk of Life was organised by Mary McDonagh, who lost one of her sons to suicide nine years ago, and her nephew – Galway hurler Niall Donohue – last year, and followed confirmation from Gardai of five suicides in Galway the previous weekend.
Mary told The Irish Catholic that she knew “the hand of God was supporting us” otherwise her family “wouldn’t have coped so well” with their personal tragedies. She found the inspiration for the walk during adoration, when the words ‘Proclaim my name in public’ came into her mind, and she decided to raise awareness of the issue of suicide but also that “there is no love like the love of Jesus”.
Testimony
The event began with 12noon Mass in Galway Cathedral, where Mary’s son Níall gave a personal testimony from a faith perspective and Cork hurler Conor Cusack spoke of his struggles with depression.
A crowd of about 200 people, including a lot of young people, then followed a two-mile walk through the streets and bridges of the city, making five stops along the route to read a reflection and pray for different intentions, and to launch balloons off a bridge where many people have drowned.
Epidemic
Maura Garrihy, the Youth Ministry Coordinator in the Diocese of Galway, helped to promote the walk and said it was a very moving experience. “There were at least five suicides in Galway in the space of just a few days leading up to the walk, and in the midst of great tragedy, and what can only be described as an epidemic, there is still a ray of hope with the Walk of Life,” she said.
“As far as I know it is the first initiative aimed at giving hope to those despairing with a faith perspective. It was a very moving experience to hear people’s stories and to be present to each other as a community.”