In a raw, remarkably frank and sometimes disturbing article in The Independent in Ireland by John Greene, Cavan goalkeeper Alan O’Mara lifts the lid on the depression
Alan revealed that he was rescued from suicidal thoughts by “the visualisation of my parents at my funeral”.
‘I am staring into space and thinking about how I haveplayed a match with tears in the back of my eyes . . . ‘
O’Mara, who missed out on Cavan’s stunning championship defeat of Armagh through injury, says he made the decision to go public about his battle with depression in the hope that others who may be suffering with the illness will see there is “light at the end of the tunnel”.
Just last week, Pieta House, the suicide and self-harm crisis centre, joined forces with the GAA in Dublin to assist in its ongoing ‘Mind our Men’ campaign to tackle the high rate of male suicide in Ireland. This partnership will involve training club members in the county to recognise symptoms and early signs of suicide. Recent figures show that 10 people die by suicide in Ireland every week, eight of whom are men.
GAA Legend Mick O’Dwyer statue flanked by a State of Mind supporter
Alan O’Mara: ‘The key thing for anyone who is feeling depressed is to always remember there is light at the end of the tunnel.’
For more information about the Mind Our men campaign click on the link below