Derek Walsh, President of the Limerick Solicitors Bar Association and fellow Sellors LLP colleague, Eanna Bane recently joined one of the night time patrols run by Limerick Suicide Watch.
Limerick Suicide Watch walks several nights a week to support those who might be in distress on the Limerick city riverside.
Derek Walsh and Eanna Bane did this after the Limerick Solicitors Bar Association donated €1,500 to the charity.
Derek noted that since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, the changes many have experienced in their life have had “profound effects on our mental health and wellbeing”, “but one thing we have learnt from the changes, positive and negative, is that it’s important to talk about how they make us feel. Everyone has different thresholds for stress, and anyone can be affected by the pressure that comes with such dramatic changes as we have experienced in the last two years”. Derek spoke of how he has see how people have struggled with the “dark cloud of depression”. “We all want to be there for others when they are struggling, but to do that, we have to take care of ourselves too”, he explained.
With this in mind both Derek and Eanna joined a patrol of Limerick Suicide Watch to see first-hand the vital work the patrol does. Derek praised the fact that the volunteers could carry out a conversation with someone who may be in distress while still keeping a sharp eye on the river and its banks.
If you require support, please contact Pieta at 061-484844, or the Samaritans at 116123.
