Rural suicide study

TEAGASC is to fund a three-year study into suicide in rural Ireland, it was confirmed yesterday.

Dr Cathal O’Donoghue, head of Teagasc Rural Economy Research Centre (RERC) at Mellow’s Campus, Athenry, Co Galway, said the study would examine the issue of rural men and suicide.

As a seminar was held at the campus on Irish rural societal change and the growing incidence of suicide, he said Teagasc had allocated funding for the PhD study through its Walsh Fellowships Scheme.

Ms Maria Feeney, a native of Galway and a graduate of NUI Maynooth, has recently been awarded the fellowship.

The study will be supervised jointly by Dr Anne Cleary (University College Dublin), Frank Laffey (Teagasc) and Áine Macken Walsh (RERC).

Dr O’Donoghue said the project indicated Teagasc’s acknowledgment of the importance of the suicide problem in rural Ireland.

Yesterday’s seminar was conducted by Dr Harry Bohan. He is director of pastoral planning in the Diocese of Killaloe and parish priest in Sixmilebridge, Co Clare.