Suicidal people urged to think of their families

People who take their own lives do not think about the hurt and sorrow they leave behind, a coroner has said.

As suicide verdicts were returned in six out of eight inquests before his court in Killarney, Co Kerry, yesterday, Terence Casey said that even though help was there for people in distress, in many cases they did not know where to turn.

Mr Casey, who previously voiced concerns about high suicide levels in his area, said it was the biggest number of suicides he had encountered in one sitting since taking up the post 10 years ago.