Cork Penny Dinners hosting candle-lit vigil to ‘start conversation on suicide’

One of Cork’s oldest charities will gather people in the heart of the city for a candle-lit vigil to mark World Suicide Prevention Day.

Members of Cork Penny Dinners will join the Cork High Hopes Choir at the Albert Quay Plaza at sunset on Tuesday, September 10, for an event dedicated to raising awareness and to creating a space for conversation.

Caitríona Twomey, volunteer co-ordinator with Cork Penny Dinners, said members of the public were being asked to embrace the theme ‘Start the Conversation’.

“It is a call to each of us, a reminder that opening our hearts and our mouths can ignite change, foster understanding, and build bridges of connection,” she said.

“We know all too well that these conversations can be tough, but in their unfolding, we discover the power of love and community.”

Ms Twomey said that part of Tuesday evening’s event would see a band of Cork bikers set off from Albert Quay around 8pm, carrying teddy bears through the city.

Symbol

The bears, she said, will be “a symbol of the message we all need to hear — ‘you are loved’”, and she said it was hoped they might help to spark conversations around suicide prevention.

Later, on Parnell Bridge by City Hall, a lone piper will play as members of Cork City Missing Persons Search and Recovery travel up the River Lee with ‘Bear Hope’.

“Together, we will create an evening infused with love, connection, and hope, a celebration of life and the bonds we share,” Ms Twomey said.

“Let us gather, converse, and remind one another that if we come together, we can create a culture of support, where no one feels unseen or unheard.

“Join us at the plaza next to City Hall on Albert Quay on Tuesday evening.

“Let’s stand together in solidarity, wrap ourselves in the warmth of community, and most importantly, let’s start the conversation. You are loved, and you are not alone.”