Donegal community stands together for those who are suicidal
By Grainne McCool @GrainneMcCool
A large sum of money has been raised for a suicide awareness charity event in Donegal on Saturday night as a community came together to send a message to the country that no one should suffer in silence – on what should have been the wedding day of one of their own.
The partner and parents of the late Conor McMonagle from Quigley’s Point, Donegal, hosted the event at The Point Inn, Quigleys Point in memory of Conor, pictured above, and also to raise much needed funds for a Pieta House here in the North West.
Suicide is becoming an epidemic in our society. An epidemic which is taking so many of our young people at the present time.
Loved ones believe with the right resources this is an issue which can be overcome. But Donegal needs those resources. Pieta house is one such resource.
Conor’s family hosted the event by showing what community is all about. Conor’s loved ones, Aoife, Tammy, Claire, Colin and extended family, invited people to come together on this, what should have been Conor and Tammy’s wedding day.
People showed how much they cared. They showed how community is very much alive in Donegal and they raised a very important issue….the need for a service in Donegal and the need for it now.
A huge amount was raised and awareness was raised. But most importantly, people realised how good others really are.
We are all ignorant to this goodness and it’s sad that it takes tragedy to awaken us to this reality.
When Claire, Conor’s mother, spoke at the beginning of the night, a tear fell from everyone’s eye. I cried. How could I not?
What an amazing tribute to her equally amazing son. Conor will live on because of the family and community he came from. His death cannot be allowed to be in vain.
If people just talk, talk, talk, it really could save a life. It might even by yours. Pieta House will soon cater for Donegal, and thanks to Tammy, Aoife, Claire, Colin and all Conor’s loved ones, other families can try to avoid the heartache that has touched all of these people.
Huge well done to all involved and here’s to encouraging our children, our friends, our neighbours to TALK. Here’s to raising awareness to the stigma that is mental health.
No one takes their life because they want to die. They want to stop the pain. On Saturday, for a brief moment in time, we all helped stop that pain.
Let’s take that pain away completely Donegal. Let’s ensure that Pieta House is set up here in the North West. Conor McMonagle is gone but never forgotten.
Pieta House provides a free, therapeutic approach to people who are in suicidal distress and those who engage in self-harm.
Here in the North West of Ireland, we are in desperate need of this facility. Conor’s partner and his parents are now hoping this facility will be put in place and prevent others going through what they’ve endured.
They held the event, on what should have been their son’s wedding day, as an
occasion to remember him and his partner.
And they are highlighting a need for a Pieta House here in the North West. All proceeds from the event will go towards Pieta House and the setting up of such in this area.
It’s up to us, the community, to ensure that this young man’s death was not in vain. It’s up to us to highlight the need for a Pieta House here in the North West.
And it’s up to us to help keep Conor’s memory alive in doing such.
