Support provided after six girls take own lives

HEALTH professionals are working closely with local students, parents and teachers following news that six teenage girls, who live within a 19km radius of Co Kildare and west Dublin, have taken their own lives in the past 12 months.

Three girls aged 12 and 13 have died by suicide in recent weeks, it has emerged.

It is believed that all six girls, aged from 12 to 17, knew each other.

The latest death, which occurred earlier this week, was that of a 12-year-old girl who was a sixth class pupil at North Kildare Educate Together in Celbridge.

The board of management at the school said that the school and local community is united in grief after the girl’s untimely death and that their thoughts were with the girl’s family at this most difficult time.

“We would like to acknowledge the great support given to us by individuals, services and support bodies from both inside and outside our school in helping the community start to come to terms with this tragedy,” the board said.

“We would appeal for privacy for all those concerned.”

Earlier this month, a 13-year-old girl who was in second year at a school 8km away in Lucan, Co Dublin, also died.

A 12-year-old girl in first year at Maynooth Post Primary School, just 6km from Celbridge, also took her own life last month.

It was the second suicide of a student of the Maynooth school since last December, following the death of a 17-year-old girl who would have been due to sit her Leaving Certificate next month.

Two other girls, aged 17 and 13, who were students of Scoil Dara in Kilcock 6km from Maynooth died by suicide last May and September, respectively.

The National Educational Psychological Service is working with HSE staff and other agencies to support the school communities affected by the deaths.

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