Three Samaritans volunteers from Ireland, including a self-confessed “royal watcher”, have been invited to Buckingham Palace.

Samaritans Ireland is hoping to reach even more people in need of emotional support through a new dedicated email address.

A national taskforce needs to be set up to look at the prescribing of barbiturates as they continue to be used as the most common type of intentional overdose, a conference on suicidology was told.

They’re normally on the end of the phone providing a reassuring ear, but now the Samaritans in Cork are embarking on an outreach pilot project which the charity hopes to roll out nationwide.