Ryan Tubridy dons purple for domestic violence groups

Go Purple Day is hoping to raise vital funds for domestic violence networks

Ryan Tubridy is helping launch the Go Purple national campaign to highlight the prevalence of domestic violence across Ireland. Picture: Leon Farrell / Photocall Ireland

People are donning their purple gear — and civic offices around the country are ready to light up in the colour today to highlight the prevalence of domestic violence across Ireland.

Go Purple is a national campaign taking place that asks people to wear something purple, or to connect to the colour somehow, for the day to show solidarity with victims and those offering support.

The colour purple is associated with strength, nobility, creativity, wisdom, dignity, peace, love, and independence.

Ryan Tubridy even got in on the action this morning, wearing a purple pocket square to work this in RTÉ. He showed off the square on a morning walk on his Instagram stories.

On his radio show, he praised the gardaí on the ground “who are critical in the fight against domestic violence” — An Garda Síochána has prioritised support for survivors of domestic and sexual violence with Operation Faoiseamh — and also talked a little about the importance in getting more male voices involved in raising awareness.

“I did a little piece on Instagram this morning to mark the fact that today is a day to raise awareness for domestic violence victims,” he said on The Ryan Tubridy Show today.

“[The support services] are doing tremendous work...They always say to me that it's helpful to them to have a male involved in this because it’s important for more and more male voices to talk about this horrible scourge in this country.

“Continued good luck to all of those working in those agencies and charities for the work they do, particularly where we are at the moment and no doubt, sadly, after the pandemic ends and towards the end — what we will be probably seeing, unfortunately, when we lift that rock up, is an awful lot of horrible stories emerging. But look we can talk about it, which is healthy, we can raise awareness which is important, and we can raise funds, which are critical.” 

The idea for Go Purple Day started as a community event, organised by gardaí in county Meath last year, and has grown to become a nationwide initiative since.

Fine Gael Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill has also been trying to raise awareness.

“Seeing so much support really lifts the spirits of those working in domestic violence services. We all need to support each other in order to break the silence on this insidious issue that is behind too many doors in homes across Ireland,” she said.

When the country went into lockdown last year, domestic violence services dealt with a surge in demand. Organisers also fear a further increase as restrictions start to ease.

More than 2,000 women and 500 children a month received support from domestic violence services from March to December 2020 and Men’s Aid Ireland had a 35% spike in the numbers seeking help during the pandemic.

“When it comes to the spectrum of issues of domestic sexual and gender violence, we are looking at a behaviour of psychological manipulation of a person as much as physical. It can be subtle but the pattern can be very damaging,” Carroll MacNeill added.

“It is a lack of boundaries, a disregard for personhood, that forms the seed for the sense that one is entitled to exert themselves on any other person. The key link between these acts is that sense of exertion on another.

“Whether we’re talking about sexual violence or domestic abuse, coercive control, parental alienation; they are all different sides of this same phenomenon - the diminishing of personhood, and the sense of entitlement to control or hurt someone.” 

The Minister for Justice Helen McEntee joined Safe Ireland CEO Mary McDermott and Men’s Aid CEO Katrina Bentley for a photocall earlier this week in honour of the event.

“Minister McEntee is actively working on the Family Law reform programme, which is urgently needed to build a new Family Law Court where we have judges, lawyers and other professionals, especially Section 47 assessors, that are specifically trained in these areas – including contemporary understandings of the manipulative patterns of behaviour that affect children and families and which can be perpetuated throughout the family law process,” Carroll MacNeill said.

To donate to Go Purple Day 2021, visit iDonate here.

Anyone seeking help can call Women’s Aid 24 hours-a-day on 1800 341 900 or Men’s Aid on 01 554 3811 from 9pm to 5pm Monday to Friday.