AROUND 70 people attended the #TieDayFriday Breakfast event at the Great Southern Hotel Killarney to hear a panel of experts discuss the importance of staying connected in our communities and how to look after our mental wellbeing.
Kerry Mental Health Association was proud to bring together four key role models in David Clifford, Pádraig O’Hora, Dr. Caitríona Kelly and Samantha Keane and we are grateful to them for giving their time to take part in the event.
Footballer of the Year and Kerry Captain, David Clifford, spoke about the loss of his mother during the year and how he minds his own mental health: “When I’m feeling down and things are starting to get on top of you, [I] just try to have something inspiring to do. Maybe on a Friday at the end of the week, you’re going meeting someone. It might be as simple as a round of golf, maybe you’re going away on a trip, just that you have something to look forward to that might take you out of the hole you’re in.”
David’s on-field marker from Mayo Pádraig O’Hora, a youth justice worker with Youth Work Ireland and community liaison officer with Mayo Mental Health Association, spoke openly about his own mental health journey: “I’m nearly three years in counselling now. It was the days I went in and thought I had nothing to tell her [the counsellor] that were the days that I probably reaped the greatest rewards from counselling.”
Key insights were provided by two new members of the Kerry Mental Health Association Board, Dr. Caitriona Kelly and Samantha Keane.
Caitriona has been lecturing for more than 13 years in the area of health care and particularly mental health, at the Munster Technological University. She has particular interest in areas of health care where profound human vulnerabilities exist.
Samantha works as an Engineer with Uisce Éireann since 2014. She lives in Listowel with her three boys and is originally from Wexford. She spoke openly about the challenges she has had with her mental health due to her marriage breakdown, financial worries and trying to jugg le the day to day as a single parent. Samantha articulated that the greatest advice and what has helped her is to talk to someone maybe your GP, close friend, or someone you can trust. She has been provided with the support and help she needed over the years, but she says she does need to maintain and care for herself daily.
The General Manager of Kerry Mental Health Association, John Drummey, said: “Our vision for the breakfast event was, not only raise funds, but to ensure that society is better informed about how to take care of its mental health. This fundraising business breakfast has helped us provide the educational infrastructure necessary to achieve that goal. We want to open a conversation to remind us all how important being part of a community is. We believe this can have a positive impact on mental health through social connection in business, sport and wider community activities.”
The Board and Management of Kerry Mental Health Association thanked Brian James Menswear Killarney, Killarney Credit Union, HR Buddy, GMIB, FDC Accountants Group Killarney and Grandview Media for their support on the morning of the breakfast event. Radio Kerry’s Andrew Morrissey and Elaine Kinsella presented their daily ‘Kerry’s Full Breakfast Show’ live from the Great Southern Hotel on the morning of the breakfast event.
