Dundalk people encouraged to sign up for Darkness Into Light Walk

Since 2017, the early-morning Darkness Into Light walk has brought together thousands of people in Dundalk in a shared moment of reflection and solidarity for those impacted by suicide and mental health struggles. 

This year’s event takes place on Saturday, 10th May.

“It’s grown and grown since the initial days,” explained event director councillor Sean Kelly. “In the early years, we had huge crowds here because we were one of the only local venues. Now, there are events in Ardee, Dunleer, Carrickmacross, Crossmaglen and beyond.”

This year’s walk begins at 4:15 AM on Saturday, following the familiar and symbolic route from Dundalk Institute of Technology. As in previous years, organisers are keen to stress that everyone is welcome, even if you haven’t officially registered.

“We just want people there,” Kelly says. “Even if you haven’t registered yet, come along. We now have a service locally and it’s important that the people of Dundalk come out to support that service. We want to see people there on the night, because that is what makes it so special.

“It’s good for people who do have mental health issues because it’s such a solidarity thing and for people who have lost loved ones, it’s a lovely way for them to remember the people they have lost. 

A significant achievement for the Dundalk committee over the past year has been the arrival of a dedicated Pieta House counselling service in town. The Redeemer Resource Centre now hosts the service four days a week, a milestone Kelly says the committee lobbied for tirelessly.

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“The big issue we had here for a number of years was the fact that we had no service, people were travelling from Louth to Pieta centres in Swords and elsewhere but there was actually no local service and that was one thing we as a committee here in Dundalk had been campaigning for a long time. Thankfully, that’s now in place at the Redeemer resource centre four days a week. We know from Pieta that hundreds of people have gone through the doors of that service.”

For more information or to register, visit www.darknessintolight.ie and select Dundalk from the list of locations.