Charity places 380 pairs of shoes outside Dáil to highlight rate of male suicide
A total of 380 pairs of shoes were laid outside Dáil Éireann today, symbolising the number of Irish men who die by suicide each year.
The Movember Foundation, which organised the event, said it is aiming to help reduce the rate of male suicide by 25% by 2030.
The protest was replicated in the UK, US, Australia and Canada ahead of International Men’s Day, which happens tomorrow.
Doug Leddin, a Movember participant and mental health advocate from Dublin said: “We need to talk about our mental health more in Ireland and put pressure on our government to prioritise mental health services.
“Unless you spend a day in the shoes of someone who is suffering it’s extremely hard to know what we’re going through. I was in a dark place and I suffered alone for a long time.
“Movember is a brilliant way to spread awareness of men’s health, raising funds and getting guys talking and being more open about mental or physical challenges they might be facing.”
Neil Rooney, Director of The Movember Foundation Ireland, said too many men are dying too young and before their time.
“The Movember Foundation is investing in projects that are having a real impact on the lives of men in Ireland and around the world,” he said.
“By engaging with men where they are, and understanding what works best, we’re helping make change happen sooner, before it’s too late.
“While the state of men’s health has come a long way since Movember started in 2003, there’s still so much work to be done and we won’t stop until men are living healthier, happier and longer lives.”
Three out of every four suicides in Ireland happen to men. On average, 32 men a month take their own life in the country.
