“There is always tomorrow” - Mayo councillors make mental health appeal

Mayo councillors have called for more to be done to assist young people with mental health issues to reassure them that ' there is always tomorrow'.

The sudden and tragic death of two young men from Swinford last week prompted local Fianna Fáil councillor Adrian Forkan to raise suicide among young people at the monthly meeting of Mayo County Council and the need for communities to do more to help young people.

The Kiltimagh-based Fianna Fáil councillor said there was a sober mood around east Mayo in the last week following the deaths of two 'young men in the primes of their lives'.

“The two lads were in the prime of their lives with not a bother on them. This to me shows we have to do more as a community to put something in place for boys and girls and men and women who think the next day can't come.

“We have to do something about that as a community and we have to do more to tell people there is always tomorrow. There is always another day and something can be done. When people think that there is no tomorrow it is a reflection on the rest of us that we haven't done enough,” he told the monthly meeting.

Erris-based councillor Gerry Coyle praised Cllr Forkan for raising the subject in the council chamber saying that there is never a right time to talk about it, 'but it needs to be said'.

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He suggested that public buildings have the names and numbers of groups who can support people left on doors to remind people there is help out there.

“We never know how many people were saved by a simple action or simple words we say. Put the numbers on the doors of public buildings. We don't know when it will knock.

“I have been trying to figure it out in my head all week. You cannot press the button to start over again. It is over. There is no such thing as restarting the game. The game of life is over.

“Please, please call someone and talk to someone. Let us make one action and put the numbers of people who can and will speak to people.

“Everyone one of them is loved by their parents and friends and suddenly they are gone,” he commented.

Castlebar-based Independent councillor Michael Kilcoyne commented that suicide has a terrible impact on the families left behind and urged people to avail of services.

“This matter needs to receive attention because it is happening and destroying communities. It is not for us to judge people who find themselves in the darkest of places. They can only be told about services if they know something will happen.

“It causes terrible grief and in some cases I have seen parents gone after them in a short time because their heart was broken. We all have an obligation to help the people who find themselves in these places and nobody knows who is in it,” he said.