Suicide reaching ‘rampant’ levels in rural society, warns coroner

A MIDLANDS coroner has warned that suicide is “rampant” in rural society as yesterday alone he heard inquests into the deaths of five people who had taken their own lives.

Of the six inquests Offaly county coroner Dr Brian Mahon heard in Tullamore yesterday, five were the suicides of people — all men — aged between 32 years and 60 years.

He said the incidences of people taking their lives in Ireland was “really serious and rampant” at the moment adding there was evidence of an increase over the last year, particularly in rural areas.