THE Samaritans and the GAA are marking 10 years since first partnering to tackle mental health struggles.
GAA president Jarlath Burns said that “Samaritans is one of the leading mental health charities in Ireland and, through this partnership, we want to raise awareness of their work and highlight the support they offer to adults of all ages who are in need of emotional support.
“There has been some improvements, but there’s definitely a long way to go,” Limerick hurler Dan Morrissey said, encouring men in particularly, who “don’t talk enough” to get “talking about your feelings and your mental health”.
Morrissey said younger players can often put huge amounts of pressure on themselves to perform, and that “every training session is nearly a trial, they don’t want to be dropped off the team”.
Balancing full-time employment or education alongside the requirements of being a top-level GAA player can easily lead to players getting overwhelmed, Morrissey added.
Lorraine Thornbury, Samaritans Limerick and Tipperary director, said “volunteers from both organisations have worked side by side to develop this partnership into an effective union that encourages GAA members to talk about their mental health and how they are feeling”.
“The GAA has helped promote the Samaritans service and in turn, Samaritans have made themselves available to help educate local clubs about what we do and why we do it.”
Anyone can contact Samaritans for support on freephone 116 123 or by emailing [email protected].
