Powerful talk on addiction and mental health in sport struck a chord

POWERFUL, moving and long overdue. Just some of the words used to describe the recent discussion Drugs and mental health awareness in sport: let’s talk held in the Woodford Dolmen Hotel.

The free talk welcomed some of leading names in sport to talk about this important topic, including Davy Fitzgerald, Antrim hurling manager and host of the hugely popular Davy’s Toughest Team, former Kilkenny hurler Richie Power, who has been very outspoken about his own battles with gambling addiction, Dr Ray McKenna, a senior counsellor with Aiséirí, the addition service, Garda Sgt Ronan Devaney from Carlow Garda Station and local businessman Bernard Horohan, who is heavily involved in the local GAA at club and county level.

“It was very well attended; we had over 300 people there, people of all ages, which was great to see,” said Bernard. “It was a talk that needed to be had, and I think people really welcomed that.” Sgt Devaney spoke of the devastating impact that drug addiction has on society for both the person in the grip of addiction, their wider family and local communities. Bernard delved into this further, by discussing the impact that addiction has had on his own family and wider circle, the heartbreak it can cause and the difficult challenge so many families are facing.

Richie spoke of his own sporting career with Kilkenny, playing at the highest level yet also living with the torment of a gambling addiction and the impact it had on all aspects of his life.

Davy spoke about the mental health challenges so many people face, including the pressures on our young people, and the importance of minding and valuing your mental health.

Dr McKenna spoke of the services that are available for people facing addiction and their families, and how important it is to reach out to the people and organisations that there to help.

“It was a non-political event, but it was organised by deputy Jennifer Murnane O’Connor, who spoke as a mother, a member of a local family and a person working in the community, who has seen the devastation addiction causes and is hearing it from local families,” said Bernard.

Bernard said it was also great to see members of Carlow Mental Health Association, chairman of Carlow GAA County Board Jim Bolger and senior county manager Shane Curran in attendance.

“Jim spoke about the programme Carlow GAA successfully ran last year called ‘Drugs ruin lives’ and how they will roll out phase two of the programme this year with all the clubs,” explained Bernard.

“This is something that affects an awful lot of people, there are so many people at their wits’ end with this. The message needs to go out – don’t stick your head in the sand; people are there to help. We need to do something about this, and I have to say the response to the talk has been amazing,” he added.

Deputy Murnane O’Connor agreed that the response to the talk had been significant, prompting her to organise a similar meeting in the south of the county in the coming weeks.

“Why I got involved is because I don’t think there is a family in Carlow who hasn’t experienced someone with an addiction issue.

“All the time people are coming in to me; they don’t know where to go to get the help and support they need and there is still an awful stigma around it, so people with addiction and their families don’t know where to turn,” said Jennifer.

“Since the talk, we’ve had a lot of enquiries from so many people, different clubs and from families, so we are going to have another talk in the south of the county in Borris in the next few weeks,” she added.

“I’m also in discussions with the HSE about having a hub in Carlow, where people with addiction issues or their families can come and find out about the services and supports available and get the help they need.”