We need your help now
Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.
You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.
If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.
Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
By continuing, you are indicating that you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
AWAY FROM THE debates and the arguments in Dáil Éireann today, an event was held to plant a Tree of Hope in the grounds of Leinster House to act as a permanent and poignant tribute to those who have died from suicide.
The idea of the initiative, which has seen trees planted across the country, is for the planting to act as a symbol of support to those affected by suicide, and mental health issues.
Representatives from across the political divide attended the ceremony that saw the tree planted on Leinster Lawn this morning.
In a statement on their Facebook page, the team behind Tree of Hope said: “A special thanks to Ceann Chomhairle for giving us permission, to Mary Lou Mcdonald and Liam O Duibhir for organising it, to Paul Heffernan for singing so lovely for us, to Charlie O’Connor for reading for us and to Eilish McNally and family for kindly donating the tree to us, and to Sean Crowe for arranging collecting of the tree.”
Oireachtas News / TwitterToday a #treeofhope was planted on Leinster Lawn to support mental health awareness & suicide prevention pic.twitter.com/ZiGoNMsfWw
— Houses of the Oireachtas - Tithe an Oireachtais (@OireachtasNews) May 10, 2017
There was a strong Sinn Féin presence, with Gerry Adams and Mary Lou McDonald in attendance.
McDonald said: “The planting of the tree in the grounds of the houses of the Oireachtas is also a tribute to the great work that Noeleen Fulham and the Tree of Hope organisation do around the country.
The tree will also act as a permanent and poignant reminder to all of us of all those who have sadly died by suicide. The tree will grow, bloom and be a beautiful expression of hope and comfort to all those who have lost a friend or a family member to suicide.
Gerry Adams / TwitterPlanting Tree of Hope in grounds of Leinster House. An important tribute to a group supporting victims and survivors of suicide. pic.twitter.com/JX2u12IW08
— Gerry Adams (@GerryAdamsSF) May 10, 2017
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Can we get a headcount on attendance for this publicity stunt in comparison to the almost empty dail on the Mental Health discussion? Amazing what a photo op brings out.. wonder were those responsible for the budget cuts on Mental Health present here too???
@Christine Hanway: from working in the industry, i’d be very interested to see how much that tree cost too. At least 20 grand i would say!
@Hólec Alfield:
The Tree cost 40 euro and was donated by a family to us ( we the Tree Of Hope Team) (we brought everything needed with us) as with all the tree plantings.
Respect … but actions speak louder than symbolic gestures. If the government of the day doesn’t genuinely care then it amounts to the equivalent of voting in favor of Saudi Arabia heading the women’s rights council in the UN … Which it appears This government did!
@Cal Mooney: Everything is symbolism now, the T.D’s are symbolic of the nation as well, a few are sym and the rest are…
@Cal Mooney:
The tree of no hope more like it.
What LIES behind this tree of hope?
@Alois Irlmaier: agreed
@Christy Nolan: It is about as much use as the President lighting candles to put in the Aras window for the diaspora – an empty gesture.
@Christy Nolan: (we are a team of 4) that lost loved ones to suicide and we started planting the Tree Of Hope almost 4 years ago. We are not political at all, we are trying to help send comfort and support to families who have also lost loved ones to suicide and living with mental health issues…..we were invited into the Dail to plant a Tree Of Hope and we have planted in many other locations we were invited too like prisons, hospitals, community centres, schools, parks etc if you care to look at our facebook page (treesofhope) …we are just ordinary people trying to help others, so less of your negative remarks please.
Maybe they should plant one outside the homes of all those evicted by banks or vulture funds, or those up before the eviction courts.
Beautiful gesture and to top it all would be to stop cutting the budget for mental health and provide a 24 hr service. especially over the weekends ..
Ireland’s solution to the mental health crisis. Planting a fûcking tree.
@Roman Shortall: It is cheaper as those who attended will want their annual rise at budget time?
Leinster House would need to be situated in a forest, to represent the lives that this and previous Irish governments have destroyed in relation to mental health support. A “permanent and poignant tribute to those who have died from suicide” is already available, it’s Ireland 2017. . . and 2018 . . and 2019 and so on. And FYI from a suicidal perspective, when potentially suicidal people see a tree like that, some of us just wonder how strong the branches are.
My neighbour’s son took his own life when the bank he had his mortgage with refused to renegotiate the loan when the relationship broke up. Politicians looking pious for the cameras? Sickening – SICKENING when they let rabid greed, brown envelopes and cosy arrangements with ‘lobbyists’ for developers brought the country crashing down and took so many lives LITERALLY as a result.
@Gerry Carroll: Why blame the bank for the breakup of a relationship. It mustn’t have been a very strong relationship in the first place because you can’t buy good relationships.
Meanwhile Enda uses a suicide charity annual event for some PR and a member of AGS is suspended on full pay for filming a woman having a break down who ended up taking her own life, yeah plant a tree. We have a long way to go yet
It’s cheaper to plant a tree than actually provide services for those with mental issues. Again with our Politicians as talk is cheap
@Mary Murphy: We the Tree Of Hope Team, brought in everything needed for this Tree Of Hope planting….no money was given to us for this planting from anyone in the Dail.
I know who I would like to plant on the lawn…..
@Peadar Ó Gréacháin: O you sexy rascal, do tell lol.
So a Judas Tree for the Dail, how apt?
@Alois Irlmaier: ohhh, that’s rather good. Chuckling.
@Tony Daly: It says more than it says ;)
Did those attending the ceremony say the Rosary?
It does not count if they did not all say the Rosary.
@Tony Daly: Tony , why do you mock something like this ?
@Suzie Sunshine: for my own amusement. I don’t take prayerful politicians too seriously.
I often blaspheme. God gets a tickle out of it.
@Tony Daly: this had nothing to do with religion though ..it is to remember those who died by suicide. .
@Suzie Sunshine: I think Susie you might be taking this to heart. I think they must have buried the wishes of families affected by suicide under the tree. Because they sure haven’t done anything to improve services. As I said earlier talk is cheap
@Mary Murphy: agreed as per my earlier comment ..
Prayers are irrelevant. It is our actions or lack of actions which truly define us.
@Tony Daly: Not for those who have a faith in order to cope or to gain emotional strenght from?
@Alois Irlmaier: I’ll pray for you.
@Alois Irlmaier: Nobody’s saying you’re not allowed to pray. Just that we’d prefer the government to have a more tangible plan.
Lovely and respectful may it serve as a constant reminder. Now how about a little objective non-pharma sponsored research into causes? We know all about effects. And keep the shills of nostrums away. Just objective, honest, research. There is a plague upon the Nation.
A tree is going to help alright!
Leinster House ?
That’s part of the problem right there.
Too much centralisation of ‘government’ in one province.
What type of tree is it ?
@Catherine Mc: a big one. After all our TDs don’t mind spending Cheaply. I hope Mary Mitchell O’Connor doesn’t drive into it on her way out to create more jobs
@Mary Murphy:
Just very curious to what species they considered as a symbol of hope, surprised they haven’t named it.
It should have been yew. Native evergreen and traditional vestige of sorrow and consolation in graveyards and can live for over a thousand years. Within its wood it holds a poison that also has the key to treating cancer. It can also make a fine bow that can let poison arrows fly if needed. . I expect they planted a faery tree though.
@Catherine Mc: we planted a Paul Scarlet tree, known as the healing tree, it was donated to us from a family and they cost 40 euro…(Tree Of Hope Team)
Given it’s in Leinster House a tree of knowledge might be more appropriate
Anyone hear about Dara Quigley and what happened to her. And then put this tree in the same context.
Hypocrites.
@Dave Doyle: We had this tree planting booked 5 mts ago..(Tree of Hope team)
have your say