GAA and Samaritans team up to tackle stigma and mental health

Limerick hurler Dan Morrissey in attendance to mark the 10-year anniversary of Samaritans as the GAA Mental Health Partner at Croke Park in Dublin. Through the partnership, GAA players and former players team up with Samaritans volunteers from across the country to reduce the stigma around mental health and encourage anyone in need to seek help. Photo: David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile

The Samaritans and the GAA are ­marking 10 years since partnering to tackle mental health struggles

President of the GAA, Jarlath Burns, led the congratulations and well-wishes to “one of the leading mental health charities in Ireland”.

The President of the GAA, said, “Samaritans is one of the leading mental health charities in Ireland and, through this partnership, we want to raise awareness of their work and highlight the support they offer to adults of all ages who are in need of emotional support.

“There has been some improvements, but there’s definitely a long way to go,” Limerick hurler Dan Morrissey said, adding, “Talking about your feelings and your mental health. Men don’t talk enough.”

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Morrissey said younger players can often put huge amounts of pressure on themselves to perform, he said, “Every training session is nearly a trial, they don’t want to be dropped off the team.”

Balancing full-time employment or education alongside the requirements of being a top-level GAA player can ­easily lead to players getting overwhelmed, Morrissey added.

He said that while he appreciated the role sport and the GAA has played in his life, he has had to learn to take a step back sometimes.

“Hurling’s very important to me, it always will be, but I appreciate there’s a lot bigger things in life as well,” he said.

Lorraine Thornbury, Director of Samaritans Limerick and Tipperary said, “Volunteers from both organisations have worked side by side to develop this partnership into an effective union that encourages GAA members to talk about their mental health and how they are feeling.

“The GAA has helped promote the Samaritans service and in turn, Samaritans have made themselves available to help educate local clubs about what we do and why we do it.”

Anyone, of any background, can contact Samaritans for support on freephone 116 123 or email [email protected].