Mayo's Pádraig O'Hora opens up about mental health challenges

CHALLENGES: Padraig O'Hora has opened up about the mental health challenges he faced towards the end of last year. Pic: INPHO/Tom Maher

Mayo defender Pádraig O’Hora has opened up about the mental health challenges he faced towards the end of last year.

Coming off the back of a first All-Star nomination, the Ballina Stephenites man spoke to a counsellor after a friend of his persuaded him to talk about the issues which had stopped him training.

In a video promoting men’s health charity Movember in conjunction with SportsJoe, O’Hora discusses the time with his county team-mate Lee Keegan. 

"I had a difficult time to say the least this time last year. Although I know what anxiety and depression looks like, and understand it, I'd never really felt it. I didn't really know what I was feeling. The only way I could describe is that picture of a person with a cloud hanging over them.

"It wasn't that I couldn't get out of bed, I wasn't having the worst time of my life. I just wasn't happy. I went for a walk in the woods with one of my mates and he just kind of asked me about something and I brushed it off. He knew me well enough, I'm usually eccentric and outgoing. And he was just like 'what's up? Do you really want to talk?'

"And I did. And I just explained to him, 'I don't know what it is but I'm not great.' He was like you know what you need to do here, go and see your GP. I did that, and went from there, couple of months down the line, bit of support, a little bit of counselling, I was back on track."

Meanwhile, the Allianz Hurling League opener on February 4 between Wexford and Galway will be the first season game played under Chadwicks Wexford Park’s new floodlights.

The lights will be turned on for Wexford’s Walsh Cup game against Kilkenny on January 21 with the Division 1, Group A Round 1 game scheduled for Saturday, February 4. Wexford also face Galway in the first game of their 2023 Leinster SH championship but in Pearse Stadium.

Croke Park will play host to a Dublin double-header on February 25 when the footballers play host to Clare in Division 2 and the hurlers entertain Tipperary in their Division 1, Group B clash. All three of Dublin’s home Division 2 games, the other two involving Kildare and Louth, are due to take place in GAA HQ.

*The Pádraig O’Hora-Lee Keegan video can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UieA2HNlMKE