Suicide tragedy of a boy aged just 12 features in harrowing TV documentary

THE story of how a 12-year-old boy died by suicide is told in a harrowing but important documentary next week.

Patrick: A Young Traveller Lost on RTÉ1 on Monday (November 27) at 9.35pm aims to shine a light on the issue of high suicide rates among the community.

The ground-breaking documentary tackles an urgent and sensitive issue through the deeply personal story of 12-year-old Patrick McDonagh, from Finglas.

Suicide rates within the Irish Traveller community have long been a cause for concern, yet the issue often remains unaddressed.

Patrick lost his life to suicide a year ago. Sensitively following his parents, Michelle Ward and Pat McDonagh, as they come to terms with their loss, the film explores the wider multi-faceted challenges facing the community and highlights the devastating impact on those left behind.

Leading Traveller voices from around the country, including Senator Eileen Flynn and Director of the Traveller Counselling Service Thomas McCann, contribute to delve into the complexities facing this marginalised and often discriminated against community.

Through the compelling first-hand account of Bernie Power, a Traveller Outreach worker from Kilkenny, we come to understand the inner turmoil of those from the Traveller community struggling with poor mental health and the real life positive impact of reaching out for help.

This deeply moving, unprecedented film, created in close collaboration with the Irish Traveller community, provides an opportunity to ignite conversations, dismantle stigmas, and encourage proactive measures to address the underlying factors contributing to this most devastating crisis.

The loss of Patrick’s young life sent shockwaves through the Traveller community, sounding an alarm that we must, collectively, face this issue head on.

Patrick: A Young Traveller Lost allows the Traveller community the platform through which to do so in their own words.

Director and producer Alan Bradley worked closely with multiple Traveller organisations in the making of the documentary, including Meath Traveller Network and Kilkenny Traveller Movement.

Michéal MacDonnachada, a member of the Irish Traveller community, was an Assistant Producer of the documentary.

All the contributors to the programme were supported by a psychologist throughout the making of this sensitive documentary.

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