Coming together to break the cycle in Manor
Some of Ireland’s top celebrities including Roz Purcell and Brent Pope, are joining forces to help ‘Break the Cycle’ of suicide in Ireland, by getting involved with Cycle Against Suicide, a National Suicide Awareness initiative taking place around Ireland from Monday 22nd April to Sunday 5th May 2013.
The cycle will arrive in Manorhamilton on May 2, with cyclictis staying the night and departing the following day. Local personalities, as well as suicide prevention and bereavement support experts will visit a local school as part of the ‘Break the Cycle’ education programme - details to be announced closer to the date.
The idea behind the project was developed by successful entrepreneur and international businessman Jim Breen, with the objective of raising awareness for the considerable help and supports that are out there for anyone battling depression, at risk of suicide, or those coping with the loss of loved ones due to suicide. Founder and CEO of PulseLearning, Jim Breen said “Everyone has some connection to suicide or depression, and we believe the best way to help fight the battle is to do so together. Mental illness is like any other health issue, it is something we all have to be mindful of, and sometimes ‘minding’ it will involve asking for help. We want to get people talking about the subject, and play our part in breaking the cycle of suicide and in doing so, decreasing the incidence of suicide in Ireland.”
According to the National Suicide Research Foundation (NSRF), suicide is claiming the lives of at least 500 people each year in Ireland, which is three times higher than the number of deaths on our roads.
Jim stated “Research has shown that 81% of people who take their own lives have met with their GP at least 4 times in the year prior to death. GPs and front line care professionals need to be supported more with effective and sustainable training on depression, self-harm and suicide intervention and prevention – as well as our first response professionals, i.e. Gardaí, Fire and Ambulance personnel.”
Through the Cycle they will be visiting schools, villages, cities and towns, opening up the discussion, making people more aware of the local resources and most important, in advance of their visit, local professionals will be trained in suicide intervention and prevention. This is just the start of a long road ahead in lowering the rate of suicide in Ireland, but it’s going to be a really strong start.”
Starting at the Phoenix Park in Dublin, the 1,400km awareness cycle will take its route all around the country, and finish back in Dublin again. The schedule of regional events will see local personalities, as well as suicide prevention and bereavement support experts visiting 26 schools along the way, educating young children to help ‘Break the Cycle’.
Participants can take part in a section of each 100km leg, an entire leg, multiple legs, or even complete the entire cycle. To learn more, get involved or sign up visit www.cycleagainstsuicide.com . For further news, follow @CASuicide on twitter or visit Facebook.
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Weather for Carrick-on-Shannon, Ireland
Saturday 25 May 2013
Today
Light rain
Temperature: 8 C to 13 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: South
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 8 C to 15 C
Wind Speed: 16 mph
Wind direction: South west
