GPA lights up the darkness

THE GPA have begun their most commendable campaign yet in tackling the mental-health challenges facing its members.

That fracture between players’ public and private personas was made clear even before this initiative. Last December in its annual report, the players’ body revealed that the number of members accessing its counselling service had trebled in 2013.

There is a value to this campaign beyond the good it does for intercounty hurlers and footballers. It highlights the wretched problem this country has with youth suicide. The results of an EU-wide study made public earlier this year revealed the suicide rate among teenage girls was highest in Ireland; Ireland recorded the second-highest rate among teenage boys. In 2012, 600 deaths by suicide were recorded among Irish people under the age of 25. In revealing the struggles of sports stars, the GPA is helping light up an age-group in society often haunted by darkness.

PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON is a man incapable of bluffing. He can bamboozle with left-field ideas but he will not settle for a convenient answer. He could have sidestepped a question about Rory McIlroy but instead spoke about it as a human story – and reminded people it is a tough time for Caroline Wozniacki, too. THERE was a novel reason offered by one official for the disappointing crowd at the Munster Championship match between Cork and Waterford. People might have stayed away to watch coverage of the elections, it was claimed. The suggestion there are thousands of Irish people that interested in the European parliament is disturbing.

HATE mail is no more abhorrent when aimed at an amateur. The distasteful post received by Donal O’Grady (pictured) was no more shocking because he hurls for free. It is a nasty surprise for anyone, but encouraging players to go straight to the Gardaí in those circumstances would help end the practice.