Community Events Archive

Anti Suicide Play to raise funds for Kildare charity

Anti Suicide Play to raise funds for Kildare charity

Out Of The Blue tackles issues of Suicide and Addiction on January 4th

Out of the Blue is a play by Celbridge writer, Cathy Conlon, tackling the subject of suicide and aimed at young people in Kildare who might benefit from the anti-suicide message of this hard-hitting play. 

The play will be performed on 4th January 2018 at 4pm at The Glenroyal Hotel, Maynooth, Co. Kildare. Proceeds will go to the Abbey Community Project Celbridge. 

Out Of The Blue, narrated in turn by Banjo, an eighteen year old who has died by suicide, and in part, by his mother, Alice, offers a review of Banjo’s life as he speaks from the grave, recalling the events leading to his death.

Banjo is about to sit his Leaving Certificate, but is disenchanted with life, and sees little point in doing exams. Unable to disclose his distress out of fear that it may seem unmanly, he plummets further and further into a depressive state which manifests in displays of anger and excessive drinking. Eventually he decides to end his suffering by taking his own life. In death he is seen to regret his decision, as he realises that help had always been available to him. Now, he is left to observe the devastating effects of his actions on those left behind.

Out Of The Blue examines the role of addiction in suicide ideation and addresses the possible causes for drug addiction, such as non-disclosure of distress particularly in young males which leads to a sense of alienation and loneliness.

“I wrote this play for the Celbridge drama group and the story sort of wrote itself,” says Cathy Conlon, who has noted the substantial increase in suicide in Celbridge/Maynooth and other parts of Kildare in recent years. “I personally know people who lost loved ones to suicide, and I saw the devastation of those who were bereaved in this way.”

Cathy Conlon worked for some years in the Dublin public library service, in areas affected by the illegal drug trade. In many of these areas suicide was at a premium level. Later her knowledge of the subject was increased through Sociology studies, Conlon took as a mature student in Maynooth University.

“There are many broader societal reasons for suicide ideation, such as relationship breakdown and the non-disclosure of distress in men in particular,” Conlon says. “This led me to explore the subject in greater detail, and so, when the local drama group in Celbridge approached me three years ago and asked me to write a short play, I decided to focus on this particular area.”

The play’s production prompted requests for repeat performances which drew a large audience each time. The aim now is to target students 16+ who would benefit from the play’s anti-suicide message. People of all ages are welcome to attend, supporting the Abbey Community Project, a charity dealing with the issues of suicide and addiction.

Cathy Conlon was joint winner of PENfro First Chapter Competition 2016. She has been shortlisted for the RTE P.J. O’Connor Radio Drama Awards, and has had four stage plays performed. Her short stories have been published in Stories for the Ear (Kildare County Council) and Boyne Berries. Her poems have appeared in Poetry Ireland Review, The Irish Times, Books Ireland, The Cuirt Journal, Ropes, Skylight 47 and in various anthologies.

Community Events Archive Community Homepage