Carlow GAA taking the lead with commendable anti-suicide jerseys

Carlow hurlers and footballers get their 2013 Championship underway this weekend and both teams will be sporting anti-suicide logs on their jerseys.

By Declan Whooley

The Carlow County Board has taken the commendable step by placing the slogan – 'Suicide Aware: Living is Winning' – on the back of their shirts when they take on Westmeath and London respectively in the Leinster championship.

In a week where young Donal Walsh, an avid anti-suicide campaigner lost his own personal battle, it seems particularly fitting that Carlow should further raise the awareness of the issue and football selector Adrian Corcoran has said it is an issue which has affected the county greatly.

“Like a lot of counties Carlow has been affected by this issue and, with so many young men involved in the GAA, our county chairman felt that the change of rules about logos gave us a great opportunity to send out a positive message to them,” he said in today’s Irish Independent.

The jersey being sported this weekend by Carlow sides

It comes hot on the heels from RTE pundit Joe Brolly having persuaded several other counties to do the same thing for the organ-donation cause he is now championing, including the Kilkenny hurlers.

Great to see the GAA addressng such important issues.