Notre Dame Kylemore engages with the theme of the University of Notre Dame's 2024-2025 forum: "What Do We Owe Each Other?". Through reflection and concrete action, we seek to embody this theme, explained as below:
"Around the world, many observers are alarmed about a collapsing sense of community as fewer and fewer people feel a responsibility to care for others. With a growing and often welcome emphasis on individual rights and freedoms, how should we—individually and collectively—think about our responsibilities to one another? In a world where ideological and cultural divisions seem to have deepened and wars in Ukraine, Israel/Gaza, and elsewhere have caused such terrible suffering, how can we bring people together to face the challenges of our times? How can Catholic social thought help us engage in fruitful dialogue with those whose perspectives are different from our own, bridge social divides, and promote healing in the midst of suffering, division, and injustice?".
Notre Dame Kylemore hosts ASIST programme
In October 2024, Notre Dame Kylemore sponsored a training delivered by ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training), a two-day skills building workshop in suicide first aid. Participants are trained to reduce the immediate risk of a suicide and increase the support for a person at risk. The workshop provides opportunities to learn what a person at risk may need from others in order to keep safe and get more help.
In addition to Notre Dame Kylemore staff, the attendees were people from the Galway area such as social workers, nurses, healthcare workers, guards (Irish police).
Participants learned to recognise when someone may be at risk of suicide and work with them to create a plan that will support their immediate safety. The training focuses on using the TALK steps— Tell, Ask, Listen, KeepSafe—to engage persons with thoughts of suicide and help to connect them with life-affirming resources. They will become first line responders. If anyone shows signs of attempting suicide, they will be more aware of those signs.
They will be also able to share with their community about the reality of suicide, an issue that affects any genders, age, social class.
Notre Dame Kylemore supports fundraising for AWARE
Notre Dame Kylemore hosted a morning Coffee Break for the Tirlán Mountain Challenge 2024 as part of Tirlán’s Mental Health Awareness Week. Tirlán is the new name for Glanbia Co.
About 50 Tirlán employees have laced up their boots to raise needed funds for Aware. The volunteers have been in training for the Tirlán Mountain Challenge, a charity hike from Kylemore Abbey to Lettergesh Beach.
The money will be donated to Aware, the national organisation providing free support, education and information services to people impacted by anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder and related mood conditions.