Thousands ready to rise and walk that special journey from Darkness Into Light

Thousands of people will participate in Darkness Into Light walks across seven locations in Meath this year.

Darkness Into Light, Pieta’s biggest fundraising event returns at dawn on Saturday, 10th May and in Meath there will be walks in Duleek, Enfield, Fairyhouse Racecourse, Laytown/Bettystown, Moynalty, Navan and Trim.

This crucial walk funds lifesaving suicide prevention and self-harm services and more than 100,000 participants across 12 countries are expected to take part.

The walk begins in darkness and transitions into light, symbolising the journey from despair to hope.

Among the volunteers organising the Navan parade is Eugene Smyth, whose 15 year-old son, Patrick died by suicide in 2011.

“When Patrick passed away we wanted to do something to help other people, to prevent it happening to another family,” said the heartbroken dad.

“Patrick was our son, he was a brother, nephew, grandson. His death had a wide reaching effect on his friends and community. Unfortunately there isn't a community that hasn't been affected by suicide,” he said.

Eugene and his family began organising walks and cycles to create awareness of mental health issues and raise funds for Pieta House and local charities in the first year.

The following year, he received a call from the charity asking him if he would be interested in starting the first Darkness into Light walk in Navan in 2013.

“It was the first Darkness Into Light Walk in the county. Navan Rugby Club hosted and still hosts it. Last year we had 2,000 taking part in Navan. We now have seven venues across Meath and around 10,000 people took part around the county.”

The Darkness into Light walk at dawn is a unique experience.

“There are a lot of mixed emotions, happiness and sadness, but there is a great community spirit and a great atmosphere. We start walking in darkness and it is daylight when we finish.”

It has been a sad week for Eugene and his family, as Patrick would have been 30 years old on Friday.

“His death was devastating but thankfully we have good memories of him. He was happy go lucky most of his life. You never recover from it, but you learn to live with it.

“I meet his friends often and they still talk about him and think about him. It is difficult for them too.”

“Patrick seemed out of sorts for about a year before he died. He always had loads of friends, was into his practical jokes and excelled at all sports, especially Gaelic and hurling for the local club Clan na nGael,

“He seemed to have turned a corner when he started getting help through Pieta House and asking go back to school through a nearby Youth Reach programme.”

Patrick appeared to be in great form the day he died.

“It turns out, in Patrick's case, that when someone with mental health issues is on a high, that's when they should be watched even more.”

Eugene says it is “never too late to seek help” and believes people with any problems can get “a great sense of relief” by just talking to someone.

Pieta provides free, professional, and accessible support services for people with suicide ideation, those self harming and the bereaved.

In 2024 alone, Pieta delivered 12,890 hours of therapy and assisted 1,777 people in Leinster, highlighting the ongoing need for public support. Eugene wants to thank all those who take part in the fundraiser and all those who help out at the various venues including the Gardai, Civil Defence, Order of Malta, Red Cross, Meath River Rescue, First Responders and other local groups.

“Thanks to Meath County Council for allowing the use of the road, the many other local groups that help out and of course the tea ladies and the many businesses that donate goodies for refreshments after the walk,” he said.

Signing up for Darkness into Light is simple – head to darknessintolight.ie where you can select your county and local walk, buy your ticket, set yourself a fundraising target.