REMARKS BY PRESIDENT McALEESE AT THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE NEW SAMARITAN CENTRE COACH ST
REMARKS BY PRESIDENT McALEESE AT THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE NEW SAMARITAN CENTRE COACH ST. CORK FRIDAY, 28TH APRIL, 2000
Tá mé thar a bheith buíoch díbh as an chuireadh a thug sibh dom teacht anseo inniu chun an ionad seo a oscailt go hoifigiúil. Go raibh maith agaibh as ucht bhur bhfáilte chaoin.
As a longtime admirer of the outstanding work of the Samaritans, I am delighted to join you here today to officially open this wonderful new centre. It is a tribute to the exceptionally high regard in which the Samaritans are held here in Cork, that you have already raised over £300,000 towards the cost of the new building, with money still coming in.
For the past 27 years, the Samaritans have provided an indispensable service to the people of Cork, at every hour of the day and night, 365 days a year. That says a great deal about the tremendous dedication that exists among the Branch’s 150 volunteers. While there is now, thankfully, greater openness to and understanding of the risk of suicide, it does not mean that this devastating tragedy is on the wane. Indeed, it is appalling to have to acknowledge that suicide is now the most common cause of death among 15-24 year olds in this country, and is especially high among young men and men in the over-65 age bracket.
When we hear of the death of any young person, whether through accident or disease, there is a very special sense of loss for the potential that was never allowed to fully blossom, for all that might have been, and for the devastating and lasting impact on the parents and family of that person. That sense of loss is compounded in the case of a person that died by suicide. Friends and family are left confounded, never fully comprehending the "why" of it, and knowing that even if they solved the riddle, the finality of death cannot be changed.
The Samaritans cannot provide the answers to that riddle, but your care and concern, patience and perseverance, have made an enormous difference to the lives of so many people. The statistics can tell us the numbers who have died by suicide, but not the most important figure of all, which is the number of people who have been saved because of the unique and invaluable support service which the Samaritans provide. We know only that your work has quite literally, been a lifeline to thousands of people. For that extraordinary sense of caring, day-in, day-out, and night after night, we are profoundly in the debt of each one of you.
This new centre has already made a great difference to the work of the Samaritans in Cork. It has enabled you to provide a drop-in service for your callers, as well as enabling you to now hold meetings and training courses on site.
I would like to warmly commend your Chairperson, Michael Sheridan, Director, Karola O’Connaill and all of the volunteers here in the Cork Branch for your outstanding work to date and your achievement in completing this new centre. I wish all of you the very best in your vital work for the future.