Lanterns light up Claremorris night sky

Lanterns light up Claremorris night sky


Michael Commins

ONE hundred lanterns floated high into the night sky over Claremorris in a moving tribute to those who lost their lives through suicide. The venture was organised locally by Claremorris Boxing Club in conjunction with Suicide Awareness Day.
Around 250 people attended the ceremony outside the Boxing Club premises at the Lakeside Retail Park. Phelim Halligan and Kevin Phelan, who are both coaches at the club and who are working with talkaboutit.ie, led the planning for two weeks in advance of this worldwide event.
Kevin and Phelim were guests on the Michael Goulding show on Claremorris Radio 94.6 as they helped raise awareness of the venture. They spoke about the great work being done by Joe Maguire from www.talkaboutit.ie at the drop-in centre in Castlebar.
They also thanked Mel from Euro Savers in Claremorris for ‘a brilliant deal’ with the lanterns, St Colman’s College, Progress for Claremorris and the Rumours Nightclub Facebook pages and others for sharing their event, and James Osborne Photography for volunteering his services.
“A full moon added to the effect and, with such a still night, the lanterns drifted up and over Clare Lake. There was silence and a feeling of peace among everyone.
“Some people hugged each other as they remembered their loved ones who lost their fight to suicide others just looked on in awe of the sight of the 100 extra stars in the sky. The crowd stayed for some time people not leaving until the last star had floated out of sight.
“The evening was brought to a close by a big round of applause in memory to all the souls lost to suicide,” said Phelim Halligan.
Dolores Keaveney, who is station manager with Iarnrod Eireann in Claremorris, said “It was inspiring to see the community gathered together for such a good cause. Well done to the Claremorris Boxing Club and all who joined in and all who watched from their windows also in solidarity.”