'Give a person the opportunity to help you'

Darkness into Light Walks this Saturday morning

Thousands of people are expected to take to the streets of Cavan next weekend for Darkness Into Light, an annual walk to raise funds for Pieta House.

The charity provides a range of services nationally to people who are experiencing thoughts of suicide, those who engage in self-harm, and those bereaved by suicide. Services are provided free of charge with no referral is needed.

An annual ritual for many, the 17th annual Darkness Into Light walk will see participants set alarms for the extremely early hours of Saturday morning, to be at the starting point for 4:15am. While the walk symbolically starts in darkness, as people walk and chat their path is lit by candles and lanterns, until light creeps in across the sky.

While some set alarms and attend, others like Cavan walk organiser Fiona Corby and many volunteers will spend the night decorating Cavan town.

When The Anglo-Celt spoke to Fiona in The Lab last Thursday evening during registrations, the mum of three said already 1,000 people had signed up, although this week is always the busiest.

This year, Fiona has brought some new initiatives to remember those who have died by suicide. She put the call out on social media and asked if anyone who has lost a loved one to suicide would like a lantern with their name on it.

“My idea was we light these all up and put them through the pastoral centre and around the grounds of St Pat’s where it is the darkest wooded area. Ones who have died through suicide, their light will light the way for others.

“I didn’t realise how many people would want their loved ones name on it,” said a tearful Fiona.

“Then we decided we would put faces to the names so we created a video and it’s extremely hard to watch. All of these people messaged in with pictures of their loved ones and want them to be remembered.”

The Special Needs Assistant shows the Celt the video containing images of those who have passed away by suicide, with one person lost just 10 days previous.

“It breaks my heart,” she said.

“I just don’t understand how much more of a message we need to get out there, please please please don’t choose suicide because the aftermath of it.

“We lost our brother James through suicide and I’ll never recover from it,” she said, outlining how she has done her bereavement counselling with Pieta who have been “fantastic”.

“I was able to receive bereavement counselling on my brother’s death and I didn’t have to worry about the money aspect of it because of the fundraising that people do.”

She said the Darkness Into Light walks bring in “huge amounts of money”, which “allows people who may not have the money” to get help.

“We’re so lucky that we have an outreach centre here in Cavan, we’ve opened a new outreach centre for Pieta in Virginia, we have a suicide bereavement liaison officer based in Cavan and Monaghan. She goes in and supports the families who have lost a loved one to suicide,” outlined Fiona of the relevant supports locally.

Fiona had an important message for people.

“What I would say to any man, woman or child no matter what age you are, if you’ve got yourself into trouble, please just reach out for help.

“It’s [suicide] not going to make life get better for you, it’s not going to make life get better for your family. Give a person the opportunity to help you,” she encouraged.

“I would just shout from the rooftop, don’t choose suicide because it is really awful.”

She thanked those at The Lab, who provided their second floor to Fiona to enable registrations for the event.

“People can come up and they can look around, sign the banner of hope with all those lovely names,” she said, also pointing at the memory tree decorated with hearts and messages from families.

“It’s blown us away again, I say this ever year but people’s kindness, their generosity, their support.

“For a small town there’s big hearts in it.”

Memory tent

This year, as always, there will be tea and refreshments after the walk where people can chat in the memory tent.

“Last year at 7am people were still sitting at the back of Cavan Institute, on tables and chairs. People just wanted to talk and we were in no rush to have anybody go home.”

Fiona encouraged anybody who can, to come along.

“It’s just so lovely, when we’re up on the stage at the back of Cavan College and people are coming from all corners in the bright yellow, it takes your breath away.

“Every single one of us we get goose bumps up our arms.”

The Cavan Town walk will begin at 4:15am at Cavan Institute, in Blacklion the starting point is Loughan House and in Swanlinbar at Saint Mary’s GAA Club. A number of other walks are taking place at venues throughout the county.

Registrations in The Lab continue until this Friday from 4-9pm, with late registration starting at Cavan Institute from 6pm-4am on Saturday morning.