Health

The increase in domestic violence during lockdowns and the murder this year of a woman while out jogging, in Tullamore, Co. Offaly, led to a national enquiry about gaps in the level of support provided to women at risk of violence. Offaly Domestic Violence Support Service was set up in the aftermath of a previous deadly incident in 1997 and it does remarkable and mostly unseen work supporting female and male victims. Here, Ray Lucey speaks to manager Anne Clarke.

Recently, West Cork Women Against Violence (WCWAV) published the 80th edition of their ‘West Cork Whisper’ newsletter. It is immensely practical, thoughtful and clearly laid out and the publication is useful to any and all working / volunteering in the domestic violence sector - no matter where in Ireland you are. This is not only because the ‘West Cork Whisper’ is the only one of its kind published in the country, but because of the quality of the content.

No better person than a volunteer who benefitted from a project to explain its importance. Lee MacMalighe put it plainly: “Save Our Sons and Daughters...

In responding to mental health needs, Lisheen House in Skibbereen in West Cork is a great example of what communities can achieve by themselves. However, the gaps are glaring in the country's mental health services. As co-founder Mick Kearns tells Hannah Ní Shúilleabháin, independent community-based, volunteer-managed services cannot fill all the gaps. Rather than wait however, Lisheen House is expanding its service to two more towns.

A series of short films released in January capture the beautiful stillness of Inishbofin during the sun-soaked lockdown of 2020. Mercifully, despite reopening for tourism in July of last year, Inishbofin has recorded only two isolated cases of Covid-19 in the past 12 months and the island is currently Covid-free.

Women’s Aid released a report on young people’s experience of abuse in intimate relationships here in Ireland to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women (November 25th).

EXCERPT: “The feedback we got back from the public was great because we had to change a lot of things this year."

Last night, on the eve of World Suicide Prevention Day, 'Changing Ireland' met volunteers patrolling with Limerick Treaty Suicide Prevention (LTSP).