The Galway Samaritans mourn the passing of their Founder Director, Luke Dillon-Mahon, who died on July 23rd at Merlin Park Hospital. Luke had been a Samaritan Volunteer in Dublin, and when he and his wife Audrey moved back to Ahascragh where he had been born, they, together with Professor Martin McHugh, another Samaritan, and a handful of Galway residents, began working towards a Samaritan Branch in Galway.
In May 1976 No. 2 St. Brendan's Avenue opened its door to any caller in distress or on the point of suicide. Letters were answered, and two telephone lines were open day and night, every day of the year, from that day on,even though there were only 60 Volunteers initially, instead of the required 140. There were 700 calls during that first year. Last year there were more than 15,000.
Luke's Samaritan qualities, his kindness, his sensitivity and insight, his absolute integrity and openness, inspired the Galway Branch from the start. The same qualities were to the fore in his relationship with the Western Health Board, the local business community and the Friends of the Samaritans, all of whom gave - and still give - practical and financial support. Meanwhile the Samaritan Centre moved to 14 Nuns Island, as the house in St. Brendan's Avenue had become to small for the volume of work.
Luke will be remembered in a very special way at a seminar on suicide in September, which is to mark the coming of age of the Samaritans in Galway. In a poignant coincidence the awarding of the National Prizes for the Samaritan Poster Competition took place in Galway at the same time as Luke, who was a painter all his life, was laid to rest at Kilcummin churchyard in Oughterard.
The Galway Samaritans are grateful to Audrey, Susie and Robin for having shared their husband and father for the last 22 years with them. E.C.