Local election candidate calls for County Limerick wide suicide prevention strategy

EVERY time Limerick North local election candidate Eleanor McSherry hears a helicopter over the Shannon she prays that “it’s not some lost soul gone into the river”.

Ms McSherry, who is running for Fine Gael, said Limerick has one of the highest suicide rates of any county in Ireland.

The well known special needs and arts/ culture rights campaigner and lobbyist is calling for a county-wide suicide prevention strategy to be spearheaded by the council.

“We need to bring people together who work in the area of suicide prevention to come up with a plan for Limerick. Every time I hear that helicopter over the Shannon I pray that it’s not some lost soul gone into the river and it nearly always is. We need to do something now, to save lives. My son with autism was suicidal when he was 14 years old so I know that there is a need for action. I have been saying it since 2004. Suicide is a scourge on our county, it has affected me, my family and many others. We need to do something now,” said Ms McSherry.

This strategy, she proposes, would bring together all stakeholders from mental health to suicide prevention groups, both voluntary and professional, to draw up a strategy for Limerick to prevent more deaths.  

“The strategy would work within the parameters set out by the National Strategy, Community for Life (2015-2020) but would contain an action plan specific to Limerick’s needs. It would aim to not only provide an official support to services already available, of which there are many fantastic groups working in this area in Limerick. I believe that the council should be at the core of this issue, the driving force that brings everyone together,” said Ms McSherry, who admits that the council are not experts in this area, so they need to work with the stakeholders for the strategy to work.

Ms McSherry has a strong track record in bringing together groups, nationally and locally, for common goals. She set up the Special Needs Parents Association with six parents in 2010. It now has thousands of members from all over Ireland. It is a totally voluntary organisation that shares information, lobbies for change and provides support.  

She also was involved in setting up Limerick Arts and Culture Exchange in 2015, along with other people working in the arts and cultural industries. It is also a completely voluntary organisation.  It boasts a membership of over 600.

Ms McSherry is currently its co-chairperson and is an artistic representative on the council’s cultural strategic policy committee, one of the first of its kind in Ireland, which she, along with others lobbied for. 

Ms McSherry also lectures on UCC’s Mental Health in the Community course and on its Autism Studies diploma - both based in LCFE. She contributed to the National Suicide Prevention Strategy: Reachout (2005-2014) so is very experienced in this area.