Pieta service in Dundalk means 'hope is now home'

The recent news that Pieta House is to soon launch a new in-person support service at the Redeemer Family Resource Centre in Dundal, is “the result of seven years hard work, this is what we've been aiming for the whole time”, Darkness Into Light Event Director Seán Kelly, has told the Dundalk Democrat.

Seán was speaking ahead of this year's Darkness into Light walk in aid of Pieta House, which takes place in the early hours of Saturday 11 May in Dundalk.

Darkness Into Light is the annual fundraising event organised by Pieta and supported by Electric Ireland. Each year the walk provides an opportunity for communities to come together to bring hope to people who have been impacted by suicide.

The opening of a Pieta House centre in north Louth, was an ongoing aim the committee of Darkness Into Light in Dundalk had been trying to achieve, but up to a couple of weeks ago, looked like it would not happen, with the committee even deciding to cancel this year's event after growing frustrated with the lack of progress in getting a physical Pieta presence in Louth.

The decision to cancel the walk was reversed two week's ago however, with the news that Pieta House is to launch a new in-person support service at the Redeemer Family Resource Centre in Dundalk.

Sharing the available details of the new centre, Seán said that “all we know at the moment is, it will be available from September onwards and it will be operating as an outreach service at the Redeemer Resource Centre. There will be a fully qualified therapist there who can deal with both adults and children.”

Seán continued, “this is what we've been aiming for the whole time. The tagline we've used for years is, 'Let's bring Hope Home' and hope is now home, because we've got a service now in Dundalk.”

Looking ahead to this year's walk, Seán said, “now we just need the people of Dundalk to come out and support us on the night because we've got the result we've been trying for, for a long time, we've got services in Dundalk. There's not one single family in the Dundalk area or in north Louth that hasn't been touched by suicide, in some shape or form.

Above: The Darkness Into Light committee

This year's walk, as with previous years, begins and ends at Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT). “Starting on the morning of 11 May at 4.15 am”, Seán explained, “we'll have music beforehand and after the walk concludes, there'll be tea and coffee and refreshments in DkIT in the canteen, we'd love everybody to come back there.

“We'll have our banners of hope there and we'll get people to sign the banners of hope, with the names of loved ones that have been lost. The final kilometre, will be a reflective kilometre, we'll ask people to do it in silence as they normally would, just to remember everybody we have lost.

“This year's walk will have an added kick in that there will be a touch of celebration to it as well because we have got the service that everyone has been looking for and the people of Dundalk have been fundraising for, so we've got to where we want to be, we've got a service in the town.

“The route is the same as last year, down the Dublin Road, down the Avenue Road, back up the Inner Relief Road, through Hoey's Lane and back into DkIT.”

People can register to take part in this year's Darkness Into Light walk at: www.darknessintolight.ie/, but Seán adds that, “Registration is open, but you can even turn up on the night, all that we would say to people is, just take your yellow t-shirt and just turn up on the night. You can donate whatever you can on the night, just be there. That's the essential message, just be there.”

A final message from Seán to anyone who feel's they need some help or someone to talk to is: “Pieta now have a service coming into Dundalk, they're available online before that, there's a full suite of services there. For anybody that needs any help, you just need to reach out.

“The essential message is, it's ok not to be ok, and the first step into seeking help, is to ask for it, and there will always be people there that are willing to listen.”

To get updates on this year's Darkness Into Light walk in Dundalk, follow them on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/DarknessIntoLightDLK/.