Laois Macra celebrate Mental Health Awareness Month

Laois Macra have celebrated Mental Health Awareness Month through a variety of activities and discussions.

As part of the Macra Rural Youth calendar, October is dedicated to the theme ‘Mental Wellbeing for All'.

The group held fun events, a 'wear your wellies to work' day, and interesting discussion panels.

"It is understood that social isolation is a major issue impacting young people in rural Ireland today," a spokesperson said.

"With many peers moved to Australia and others battling the housing crisis, Laois Macra wished to organise events that would bring its members together and spread awareness of mental health challenges within the farming community."

Joanne Teehan (Laois Macra) with panellists; Eoin Doyle, Elaine Houlihan and Bruce Thompson at
the ‘Be well, Stay well’ panel discussion.

Throughout the month clubs in the county have organised a walk to Glenbarrow Waterfall and a 'Cards & Chats' evening.
Laois Macra then organised three panellists to join their members in Mountmellick Macra hall on October 18th for a ‘Be well, Stay well’ discussion.

The panellists on the evening included President of Macra Elaine Houlihan, dairy farmer and dung beetle expert Bruce Thompson, and Deputy Principal of Mountmellick Community School Mr Eoin Doyle.

Members travelled from around the county and surrounding counties to attend the event.

"The rationale behind the event was to acknowledge the busy and fast pace of life many of us are living and to discuss tips and tricks of how we can maintain our own wellness in the midst of it all," Macra stated.

The panellists were posed with questions of how to set boundaries, how to deal with criticism in the public eye and manage resistance, to describe a typical day for them and how they prioritise their own wellness whilst maintaining a busy lifestyle.

"Laois Macra wishes to extend a sincere thank you to all panellists for sharing their pearls of wisdom with us. They also wish to thank Mountmellick Macra for hosting the event in their hall and providing tea and treats afterwards," they said.

In addition to organising Be well, Stay well, Laois Macra got involved with the Macra na Feirme national ‘Wear your Wellies to Work Day’ on World Mental Health Day 2024.

Members were encouraged to wear their wellies or 'funkiest' socks to work to stand in solidarity with the farming community and the mental health challenges faced by farmers.

Mountmellick CS students wearing their wellies to school on World Mental Health Day.

"Research conducted by UCD found that almost 25% of farmers had thoughts of suicide in the previous two years," a spokesperson said.

"This stark statistic was the root of the awareness campaign. The campaign sought to encourage clubs and members to strike conversations about mental health and where to go for support in rural Ireland."

Make the Moove is a mental health initiative which provides counselling services and a crisis response team in the event of a tragic death in rural communities in Ireland. Members were asked to share a photo of their wellies in work on social media platforms.

Mountmellick Community School got behind the campaign and students wore their wellies to school on World Mental Health Day to show their support for the initiative. Their Guidance Counsellor Joanne Teehan is a member of Laois Macra and facilitated discussions in Mountmellick CS relating to mental health issues within the farming community and informed the students of where farmers can access support.

Joanne Teehan, Guidance Counsellor with 6th Year students Aoife Grehan and Aaron Rooney (all Mountmellick Macra members). 6th Year students Rachel Feery, Aoife Grehan and Wilda Gill

"Laois Macra are proud to promote ways of minding our mental health and reducing the stigma which surrounds mental health in our locality. If you are interested in joining Laois Macra, please send a message to our social media pages, we love to welcome new members," the spokesperson finished.

Laois Macra are hosting a New Year’s Eve Ball in the Killeshin Hotel, Portlaoise. Tickets are now on sale. Check out their social media pages for more information.