Dublin teams to play part for charity

DUBLIN’S FOOTBALLERS and hurlers will be playing their small part in increasing the awareness and support campaigns for the issues surrounding depression and suicide that increasingly plague Irish society.

For the first time a jersey sponsorship logo will be handed over by a sponsor to a charity for a competitive intercounty match, and in this case will see the Vodafone logo replaced by the letters SOS, which refers to the Suicide or Survive charity.

The Dublin footballers will wear the specially-commissioned jerseys for the opening Croke Park Spring Series league clash with Kerry on Saturday week, and the hurlers will do likewise for their opening hurling league clash against Galway on February 26th.

The two-match initiative will be also built around a “Talk, Listen, Change” (TLC) theme, the objective being to encourage people enduring stress and other mental health challenges to open up about their difficulties, seek the support available and by doing so effect a positive change in their mental health.

“We didn’t have to think twice when Vodafone came to us with the idea of swapping their logo for that of the Suicide or Survive charity for these games,” said Dublin CEO John Costello. “With one in four people experiencing mental health problems at some stage in their lives, it is essential organisations like Dublin GAA and the GAA get behind efforts to encourage people to talk and look for the help that’s out there.”

As part of the promotion, Vodafone and Dublin GAA are asking customers across all networks to donate €2 to the SOS charity to help fund its work. Subscribers can make the donation by texting the word “SOS” to 50300, with the proceeds going to the charity.

The Dublin Spring Series in Croke Park will this year involve the footballers’ opening league clash with Kerry on February 4th, (the Tyrone v Kildare game is a curtain raiser), plus two football and hurling league double headers. Adults can attend all three events for just €30, while a child’s ticket for the three fixtures will cost €10. Single match tickets are €13 and €5 respectively.

GAA president Christy Cooney expressed his condolences on behalf of the association to the parents and family of Ciarán Carr, Round Tower Clondalkin dual player, who passed away on Friday night last during a training session with the club’s senior footballers.

The 20 year-old student, who had represented his county at underage development squad level, was the club’s under-21 football vice-captain.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the Carr family and the Round Tower GAA club at this unimaginably difficult time,” said Cooney. “Ciarán achieved a lot in his short life and cherished his involvement with the GAA through his local club and, of course, his county. He represented his family and his club with distinction. I extend my sympathies and those of the association to Ciarán’s parents.”

Dublin chairman Andy Kettle also expressed his condolences, and added that more thorough health screening may need to be introduced at club level. “I would be pushing it because one death is one too many, parents should not bury children . . . There needs to be something more done, there is a cost, whether clubs can bear that cost or not I’m not sure. Whether the GAA should be talking to VHI and looking at a situation where screening can be covered but something needs to be done.

“I would also ask the question have our changed training methods anything to do with it . . . I would like an opinion sought on that particular aspect.”