HUGG event in Bundoran on Saturday, August 17 partnered with Connecting for Life Donegal and Sligo, Leitrim

HUGG, Ireland’s national suicide bereavement charity, is raising awareness of the support services available for adults who are impacted by suicide loss. 

HUGG will be hosting an event at the Great Northern Hotel, Bundoran on Saturday, August 17. This event is proudly supported by the HSE and Connecting for Life Donegal and Sligo, Leitrim.

Doors open at 12:30pm with refreshments, and the event will run until 2:30pm.  Guest speaker and psychotherapist, Una Holstead will speak at 1:00pm about living with and navigating suicide grief. Attendees will also hear from people with lived experience of suicide loss and what best supported them on their grief journey.

Local support services will also be available on the day.

Conor and Cathy McCarthy from Sligo tragically lost their son Ross to suicide in May last year, just two weeks before his 25th birthday. Despite their immense grief, they have found comfort and significant support through HUGG and its events, as they continue to navigate life after their profound loss.

“We lost our son Ross in May of last year and it was, and still is, a very difficult time for us,” Conor said.

“We’re linked in with the HUGG group in Letterkenny, and through the group we met people who had a similar lived experience to ourselves.

“That really helped in being able to talk about our experience, to hear of theirs and how they coped and managed to get through everyday.

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“Everyday is a difficult day, and it's how to understand that ultimately one will manage to cope and get better along the journey. That’s where HUGG has been really helpful to us,” he explained.

Conor and his wife have attended similar HUGG events, and through these they have picked up advice along the way that has helped them in their grief journey.

“Even though I’ve been to other events, I know I will find the Bundoran one beneficial because there will be someone talking about grief and describing grief to people who have been bereaved by suicide and the journey that they go through.

“One thing I really took from the talk I was at in Letterkenny was that a few people said they felt guilty about being happy, but the grief counsellor said, ‘if you feel happy any day, that’s the day you go out and paint the town red.’

“There’s nothing wrong with being happy,” Conor said.

“It will be a good event. As well as someone talking about grief there will be people, like us, talking about their own experience.

Conor emphasised the importance of men attending the event, and hopes that it will encourage men to be more open about their feelings, and share their experiences with other men who have gone through similar struggles.

“Men aren’t great at talking, and more than anything else I would like to see men attend this event. 

“It’s very difficult for men to express their feelings but if they’re in an environment with other men who have had similar losses.

“It can give them a chance to talk to those men about how they cope with going back to work and everyday life, and to strike up a friendship with someone that has a similar lived experience,” Conor explained.

Men and women alike can find a supportive community and valuable resources to help them cope with the loss of a loved one to suicide. The McCarthys' story is a testament to the power of shared experiences and the healing that comes from connecting with others who understand the journey through grief. 

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HUGG provides information, signposting, resources, and suicide bereavement support groups nationwide. Anyone over 18 who has been bereaved or affected by suicide can get information and support by visiting HUGG.ie or by calling 01 513 4048.