Swatragh man leading the way in Movember challenge

A trainee doctor from County Derry is hoping to encourage other men to start a conversation about their health.

Antón Tohill, from Swatragh, is currently taking part in the popular Movember campaign, a global movement committed to stopping men from dying too young by focusing on mental health, suicide prevention, prostate cancer, and testicular cancer.

The 24 year-old comes from a well known County Derry family.

Antón’s father, Anthony Tohill, was a Derry County Gaelic football player in the 1990’s and early 2000’s.

Antón has made a name for himself in his own right. He has played for his GAA club in Swatragh, the Derry County team and Collingwood Football Club in the Australian Football League.

Antón, who is currently training to be a doctor, explained how he decided to go into medicine after his dad experienced a serious accident.

“Dad got hit in the face with a chainsaw when we were out gardening one day. I was able to see him from when the incident happened to being put back together in a way that most people wouldn’t even notice that he had an accident. I just thought being a doctor you would have such a positive effect on people’s lives. To take people from the worst they have ever felt to being able to function and feel good about themselves again. From then on medicine is the only thing I saw myself doing. I used to want to do Dentistry but I think Medicine offers me more of an opportunity to impact people’s lives positively. I thought if I’m capable of doing medicine, why not do it? You could go into something like finance and sit moving things around on spreadsheets and make loads of money but to me being able to help people that are struggling and put them in a position where they are feeling better is a real privilege.”

As well as training as a doctor and a footballer Antón works and fundraises for the popular charity Movember.

The charity started in 2003, as a movement for men's health. The movement has since funded over 1,320 men's health projects around the world, challenging the status quo, shaking up men’s health research and transforming the way health services reach and support men.

They have taken on three of the biggest health issues affecting men: mental health and suicide prevention, prostate cancer and testicular cancer. As a result, men are living healthier, longer lives. The movement started with 30 Mo Bros. Now, it claims a headcount of over six million.

Antón is one of those six million people who is involved with the charity. While playing football in Australia he heard about the organisation.

Speaking about how and why he got involved he said: “I was able to learn a bit more about what they get up to down there and their commitment to improving men’s health. I was very fortunate to get offered a job after I applied for it in 2023. What got me into it in the first place and what pushed me into doing something for them was when a young fella my own age died from suicide. The young fella played alongside me in Australia he was called Redmond Óg Murphy, he was from Sligo. He didn’t enjoy the sport and ended up moving back home. We kept in touch as much as we could then the news came through that he

took his own life. It was a big shock to me and my peers. It was someone who was in the same position as myself, we both played underage county football and moved into professional sport.

“So when the opportunity came up for me to work for the charity, I went for it. I heard so many good things about it when I was in Australia so it was too good for me to turn down. I am delighted to be not only able to work for them but to do a bit of fundraising for them as well. It’s similar to medicine in that way. Whatever opportunity I get to try and make people’s lives better I am always going to take it. The charity is great. They do what they can for men and put things in place to protect men's health.

“My job with the charity is running the workshop ‘Ahead of the Game’. This focuses on teaching 12-18 year olds about mental health through GAA clubs. We teach young people about what mental health is, how it connects to physical health, what mental illness is, a couple of examples, and most importantly how to have conversations on it. It is good for them to know how to help each other when they may not be feeling the best. We also do a hour long workshop with their parents and coaches to try and improve their knowledge of the topic as well. This is good so they are in a good position to help the young people who

are struggling. My first session that I did was in Slaughtneil, then I did more in Swatragh and Glenullin. I am in the process of trying to get more organised for Derry before the end of this year. It’s great to be able to bring that to local clubs and make an impact in communities.

“Even though the workshops are directed at young people I have also given the talk to girls teams. It’s important to point out that everybody has mental health and everyone can be susceptible to mental illness, it's not just men. Even if it isn’t you then you will know somebody in your life that might find it difficult at times. It’s a good thing that we are able to see so many different people through the charity. The Ahead of the Game programme is going from strength to strength. We had funding for one year to see how it went and we have just secured funding for three more years. This means many more GAA clubs will be benefiting from the programme.”

Speaking on his Movember challenge Antón continued: “I have been growing my moustache out at the minute and I am also planning to cut off my long hair and donate that to the Little Princess Trust. At the minute I am sitting on around €750 so if I get over €1,000 I will be delighted with that. That money will do a lot to help the charity moving forward in Ireland.”

As Movember heads into its 21st year, its new 'State of the Nation' survey has revealed some hard truths about the state of men’s health in Ireland. While 82% acknowledge that mental health is critical, over a third consider their mental health to be in rough shape. For younger men in lower socio-economic areas, aged 25 to 34, that number jumps to 41%

There’s still a major hurdle around opening up about mental health, with one in five Irish men. A fifth of men feel uncomfortable talking about it with their close friends, and this reluctance rises to 56% in the West of Ireland. one in 10 men feel that they don’t have a solid support network to lean on, yet the good news is that 84% say they’d seek help if they felt their mental health was in trouble.

The loneliness epidemic isn’t just global; it’s hitting close to home too. Almost 20% of men aged 25 to 34 in Ireland report often feeling lonely. That’s where Movember steps in.

With resources, tools, and life-saving initiatives, they’re making sure Irish men have access to the support they need when life gets hairy.

Physically, two-thirds of men rank their health as “average”, but younger men again (25 to 34) are feeling the pinch, nearly half think they’re physically unhealthy. Though half of respondents go for routine checks every year, 1 in 4 only make the trip to the GP when something is wrong, a habit especially common among 18 - 24-year-olds.

When it comes to cancer, there’s a surprising knowledge gap. Research earlier this year from Movember uncovered that nearly one third (30%) of men in Ireland don’t know how to check their testicles for early signs and 1 in 5 men NEVER check their testicles. Almost three quarters (62%) of men weren’t aware that testicular cancer is one of the most common cancers within young men aged 15-40 or that one in eight men in Ireland will receive a diagnosis of prostate cancer in their lifetime.

Socially, nearly half of Irish men (44%) think their social habits aren’t where they should be, with men (25 - 54 y/o) feeling the biggest hit. Over a fifth believe social media has a negative effect on their mental health, with this rising to 27% in men aged 25-34 y/o. Initiatives like Movember Ahead of the Game, in partnership with the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) and the Gaelic Players Association (GPA) are changing that narrative, bringing men together to build resilience and stronger social connections. This evidence- based emotional literacy programme designed for delivery in a sports club setting kicked off earlier this year and with already 176 clubs across the 32 counties having taken part, it’s a game changer in more ways than one.

*75% of mental health disorders will have emerged before the age of 24. That’s why conversations about mental health and fitness early in life are important. Helping young people build the skills to look after their own wellbeing, and support their teammates, is critical to lifelong mental resilience and mentally fit communities.

Movember Country Director, Sarah Ouellette said: "As we head into our 21st year of Movember, the mission to tackle the critical health issues facing men in Ireland has never been greater. There are fathers, brothers, partners, friends, colleagues behind each of these statistics whose lives could be cut short far too soon. Over the past two decades, together with our amazing Movember community, we’ve made a real difference, but we've seen from the state of the nation results that there is still work to be done. You’ve helped us create an entire support network that’s changing the way men think about their health. The fight goes on. We’re all in - raising vital funds and sparking life-saving conversations."

Movember, the leading men’s health charity, is back and ready to tackle some of the biggest health challenges facing men in Ireland and around the globe this November. Since its humble beginnings in 2003, Movember has grown into a global movement committed to stopping men from dying too young by focusing on mental health, suicide prevention, prostate cancer, and testicular cancer. This year, the moustache is calling once more, and Movember calls on the men of Ireland to rise to the challenge. Unite to take on mental health, suicide, prostate cancer, and testicular cancer. Sign up, raise funds, and help save lives.

Sign up now to help change the face of men’s health in Ireland ie.movember.com

If you would like to donate to Antón’s campaign you can do so here: https://bit.ly/4eLvVhf