The close friendships forged in GAA clubs has been the inspiration for a project that has helped almost 20,000 mainly young people talk about suicide or self-harm in a safe environment.<\/p>\n
This mental health partnership between the GAA, Gaelic Players Association, and the men\u2019s health charity, Movember, has already reached 475 clubs across all codes.<\/p>\n
Kieran Lillis played Gaelic football for 15 years with Laois and is one of 35 past or present inter-county footballers, hurlers, and camogie players delivering the programme.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I was 19, a very close senior footballing member died by suicide in Portlaoise. He would have been someone I looked up to,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we open the workshops it\u2019s always coming back to the \u2018why\u2019. It comes back to him for me. Younger Kieran definitely could have benefited from the programme. It was a difficult time.<\/p>\n
“It rocked us all, and at the time there was stigma about not talking about it, not processing it much. He was four years older than me; when I look back there were numerous signs and we skirted around it rather than asking questions.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mr Lillis works as a performance mindset and wellbeing coach, with a background in primary school teaching and bar work. He is very aware of challenges facing young people.<\/p>\n
The players deliver sessions in pairs. One slide shows six athletes.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe thing about all those six is they were top sports stars and struggled with different areas of their mental health,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n But the most important thing is they took time away, they got help and they came back better and stronger.\n <\/p>\n
He described feedback from parents showing many young people were more likely to chat with someone like him in this relaxed club-house environment about questions they are unwilling to ask otherwise.<\/p>\n
\u201cEven though you\u2019re talking about something that can be very serious, it can light you up,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt really fills my cup and I get great joy out of being part of the Movember crew. There is value in what we\u2019re doing as well, that\u2019s clear to see.\u201d<\/p>\n
About 18,600 young players, their parents and coaches have taken part so far.<\/p>\n
Brian Curtin is programme implementation manager with Movember and played GAA as a child with the Valentia Young Islanders club.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe like to call it mental fitness because it\u2019s being delivered in a sports setting,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt tries to teach about the signs and symptoms of mental health issues, whether that\u2019s anxiety or depression and how to talk about things like suicidal ideation.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Separate sessions are held for teenage teams (boys and girls) and adults, with the former called “help out a team-mate”.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of young people and parents don\u2019t have the vocabulary or know how to sit down with a 15-year old and say \u2018are you OK, have you ever hurt yourself, are you struggling\u2019,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Every November, the Movember charities call on men to grow a moustache and open a conversation about mental health and other issues.\u00a0<\/p>\n