*Clare hurler, Shane O’Donnell, pictured at the launch of Darkness Into Light 2024, proudly supported by Electric Ireland. Photograph: ©INPHO/Dan Sheridan
HUNDREDS of Clare people will be up for sunrise this Saturday for Darkness into Light.
Six Clare locations will be holding Darkness into Light walks in the annual fundraiser for Pieta House which is sponsored by Electric Ireland.
Vital funds for Pieta’s lifesaving support services for those in suicidal distress and those who have been bereaved through suicide are raised through the Darkness into Light 5km walk every year.
This year, the event will take place on Saturday May 11, when hundreds of people will walk until sunrise in towns and villages across the country starting at 4.15am, including Ennis, Killaloe, Kilmihil, Newmarket-on-Fergus, Shannon and Whitegate.
Clare hurler, Shane O’Donnell was involved with this year’s launch. “I think everybody has been touched whether it’s themselves or someone that they know closely by mental health and mental health issues. It’s a brilliant initiative. Darkness into Light is something that everyone is aware of.
“Reading some of the statistics in the information that’s sent out to you before these events, one of them that came up was that suicide is the leading cause of death in Irish men under 25. I don’t think there’s too much really that needs to be said about that. It’s a scary statistic and it’s the reason we have things like Pieta House and Darkness into Light. Yeah, just delighted to be involved,” Shane said.
Ennis will host the walk for the fourteenth year, it will begin at 4:15am at the Ennis CBS primary school.
In the village of Kilmihil the walk with start at 4.15am at 4 Church Street. Members of the Clare intermediate ladies football panel are among those that will be in attendance.
Twin communities of Killaloe and Ballina will come together for a 4:15am start at the Ballina GAA club before crossing the border from Tipperary into Co Clare.
For the first time, Newmarket-on-Fergus will be having a sunrise stroll in aid of Pieta, this will commence at the grounds of Newmarket Celtic FC at 4:45am. The event sees Obair join together with Newmarket Celtic FC and Cora Chaitlín GAA in organising the walk for the first time in the village. Memory ribbons will be available on the morning for people to write the names of those who have gone before us and would like them to be remembered in a special way along the walk.
Newmarket-on-Fergus’ route will go from the soccer field to Lough Gash where there will be a ‘meaningful mile’, walking in silence through Kilnasoolagh Park until the library. From there the route will proceed to Mc’s Cross roundabout and back via O’Regan Park, around the green area and Church, finishing with laps of the hurling field.
Shannon has always garnered a strong turnout but organisers are confident their tenth time hosting Darkness into Light will draw its largest crowd yet. “In light of all the tragedies in Shannon this past year, we would love to make this event the biggest Shannon has ever seen. Everyone is welcome to take part in this most important sunrise of the year,” organisers stated. The event will start at 4.15am at the Wolfe Tones GAA Camogie Club, Pairc Na Sionna, Tullyvarraga.
Whitegate will host the annual walk for the third year in succession. It will start at 4.15 at the Whitegate GAA Club.
