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BACK IN 2009, David Keegan and his friend and former flatmate JP Swaine got chatting about mental health in Ireland: the incredibly high suicide rate among young males; the stigma around talking about mental illness; the need to bring subjects out of the dark and into public discussion.
“It wasn’t a very prevalent conversation at the time,” said Keegan.
Out of that conversation came First Fortnight, an arts festival inspired by Swaine’s work as a social worker and psychotherapist, and Keegan’s love of the arts. They wanted to use their interests to put together an event that would get mental health onto the national agenda.
The festival has evolved as the years have gone on, going from an arts-only festival (with a mental health theme) in year one to an event that has many different strands of art, discussion, conversation salons, and even an early-morning rave.
A different sort of Proclamation
Its opening event for 2016 will be The Proclamation at Christ Church Cathedral this Friday (1 January) at 7pm, where a host of public faces – like Newstalk’s Chris Donoghue, Headstrong CEO Tony Bates, and actress Mary McEvoy – will speak about their experiences with mental illness. The High Hopes Choir and Colm Mac Con Iomaire will also perform at the event.
With many public figures coming out to talk about their experiences of anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues, it seems the Ireland of 2016 will be very different to that of 2009.
Does Keegan feel that First Fortnight has contributed towards today’s wider conversation about mental health in Ireland?
“I’d like to think we have,” said Keegan. “There’s a hell of a lot more organisations than there were in 2009 when we started, so it would be nice to think we inspired people to do their own thing and get involved when they can.”
He sees it as an ongoing mission, with much road still left to travel.
“It’s ongoing. People say to me every year, ‘isn’t it great, it’s a more public conversation that needs to be had more often’. In certain demographics, we’re among the worst in Europe. One in four of us will suffer from mental illness in our life, but it’s still not a conversation the majority of us would be comfortable to have in the pub.”
He’s proud to hear from people who’ve brought pals along who were struggling, and who were inspired to seek out help after First Fortnight.
He’s also been hearing more from friends about their trials and tribulations. “It took me a long time to come around to being comfortable with that conversation,” he says.
Embracing the art
“We’re really proud of how people have taken it to heart,” said Keegan of the festival. ”We pride ourselves in programming high quality arts because that’s what people come to see.”
A look at the programme for this year shows how topics like suicide, eating disorders, co-dependency, and panic attacks are all explored using theatre, film, music and more.
“We are just inundated with people sending in work or scripts,” said Keegan, adding that throughout each year they spot work that they would like to commission for First Fortnight.
Aside from the festival, they also run a creative art therapy programme for homeless people in Dublin city.
Planning for the future
A volunteer board runs the festival and the events are delivered by around 90 volunteers. ”There’s a lot of people out there doing good work who are really struggling to maintain their services. We are only able to manage what we do as we are a voluntarily-run organisation,” said Keegan.
When it comes to the politics of the matter, they partner with groups like Mental Health Reform Ireland, and Keegan said what they are looking for from the government is “a proper commitment to actual investment in mental health services in the country”.
He is also interested in seeing where mental health lies on the agenda of those looking to be elected in the upcoming general election.
The beginning of the year can be tough so by taking place at the start of January, First Fortnight aims to give people some positive thoughts for the upcoming year.
It’s also a time when people will be reflecting back on Ireland’s history, which may in turn spark thoughts for Ireland’s future and how mental health is treated.
“We’re the first event of the New Year to mark the [1916 Rising] centenary with The Proclamation, so it’s a pretty bold move – but we’re really excited about it. We can’t wait,” said Keegan.
To find out more about all the events during First Fortnight, and to buy tickets, visit the official website.
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Extremely well deserved.
@Basildon Joe: It’s amazing how these lads seem to wind up the worst kinds of people so much!
@Rochelle Hart: the criticism is justified in this case
@Alan Power: They’ve been a very talented bunch of lads ever since they learned how to say Hi Noy Brine Coy in a Belfast accent. Whataboutyeh!
@Basildon Joe: triggered much
Excellent, well done.. great to see the kids singing along as gaeilge ..
@Michael Collins: They bring the energy the Irish language has needed for decades, they’re actually inspiring young people to want to learn far more than the education system ever has.
@Michael Collins: “Put my mickey in her gee, now I have a std”. Yeah, such genius. Backed by crap 90’s rave and the most basic of beats
@Ollie McGlinchey: You better not ever hear any of the lyrics from the new type lady rappers in the US either.. your head will pop !
@Ollie McGlinchey: Nowhere near as good as any Classic Rock bands of the past “The bigger the cushions,the sweeter the pushing. The looser the waistband,the deeper the quicksand. Big bottom,big bottom,my baby’s got ‘em” Spinal Tap,legends.
Great to see lads from my home turf representing the Irish language so passionately. It has pushed me towards the first step of a conversational irish class. I can’t wait to start butchering it with my nordy accent. Anyone know any good classes/groups round D15??
@Nigel McAtamney: PEIG.ie would list the classes or conversation circles.
Cue rugby dad outrage..
@Enoch Kochwomble: It wasn’t a suspended sentence. Suspended sentences always end like……………..
The reason how they got their name: They always spoke in Irish when suspected security forces were nearby “ An caipim tú an fear seo PSNI?” “Ni caipim”
@Larry Betts: An gceapann tú gur fear de chuid an PSNI é an fear sin
Great news!
Media reports are now claiming they caused a storm recently when it was announced. Apparently they were all heard to be singing Ooh Ahh Up Darragh
@Larry Betts: Ah Larry, nearly spat out me Jameson:) … nearly …
@Michael Collins: Michael Collins? Whiskey? You must have a double
@Larry Betts: I for one would like to say thank you for the jokes.. of course opinions wil differ on how funny diff jokes are etc etc .. blah blah an all that.. but one thing for certain is your intent is to put a smile on peoples faces, while others like the Trump/Doe/Jim/Peter/Alan trolls is to abuse people, cowardly behind their keyboards in darkened, mouldy basements..
Merry Christmas Larry.. my next toast is to you kind sir..
@Michael Collins: Thank you indeed,kind sir. I like to bring a bit of banter and lightheartedness to alleviate the ugliness of insults,political agendas and trolling which unfortunately happens here too often. A merry Christmas my good man,enjoy your ‘water of life’
Spaceship lands on the Falls Rd. ‘Concerned Residents’ member approaches the nervous,strange looking occupants as they clamber out. “Who do ya think ya are,and where do ya think yer goin’ ?!” he demands. “We come from another world. We come in peace,to explore the possibility of forging relationships with other beings within our solar system. We are Martian” Furiously, “ I don’t care who you are,where you’re from,or what you want. But I can tell you this,you’re not marching down this road!!!”
Well deserved.
@Áine G: Is this Áine G that was Áine F last week lol
The Journal should have put a trigger warning on this article for all of the centrist rugby Dads & Blueshirts.
@Jacintha Dumbrell: oooh yah!
Scraping the barrel there lol
@Alan Power: Obviously you haven’t even seen it,with a comment like that
@Larry Betts: don’t want to see it, I hear it’s a load of rubbish
@Larry Betts: don’t want to see it, I hear it’s a load of rubbish
@Alan Power: I think it’s a great movie. Funny and with a very positive message. Sorry it’s not Citizen Kane.
Ádh mór a bhuachaillí
@Basildon Joe: I can believe it
@Larry Betts: Its a new Jim/Doe a/c. He supports FG, Trump and the British Army.. hense he automatically hates Kneecap .. LOL
@Alan Power: To quote yourself… ‘ This will trigger the right people’. LOL
@Basildon Joe: Oh well,lots disagree….great film.
@Michael Collins: you’re wound up, and I’m doing the winding lol
@Alan Power: Na your just exposing yourself as what you are .. like yer hero Trump LOL
@Michael Collins: under your skin lol
@Alan Power: Nah. Out of your league pal. Cry harder.
@Louis Jacob: simp harder lol
@Alan Power: ye couldn’t wind a 1970s clock ye windbag..
@Paul Gorry: I wind up you and others on here, with ease lol
@Paul Gorry: Maybe he’s a Man City supporter,Paul. His clock is turning from a digital clock into a cuckoo clock
@Larry Betts: well if it smells cuckoo, walks cuckoo and talks cuckoo.. you can be sure its batchit crazy cuckoo..
@Larry Betts: On the ball as always, Larry .lol
@Alan Power: bootlicker
@Alan Power: so don’t comment
Fair play to three British lads.
@Trump24: Sums up ye lot.. They are Irish, identify as Irish and have Irish Passports.. what are you ? ..
A Confederate redneck or a Yankee redneck
.. LOL.
@Michael Collins: they’re from the UK, the lad should be wearing a Union Flag balaclava
@Alan Power: Sure maybe you could lend yours to them ? .. and your sash … LOL.
@Michael Collins: it’s the appropriate attire for British chaps, like them
@Alan Power: and could you hurry up your next nonsense reply.. switching pubs .. id hate to miss it … LOL..
oh btw .. the lads said your a tool..
P.s. LOL.
@Michael Collins: imaginary pub, with imaginary lads, what fun lol
@Michael Collins: They were born in the UK and live in the UK. They are British it’s simply fact
@Trump24: Water is wet.. there’s another fact for ya. … btw just because your born in a stable, don’t always mean your a horse !!..
Gee whiz though a yankee like you would know that ..
Is a Palestinian born in the US, American?
@Alan Power: how feckin sad are you , sitting on here with multiple accounts trying to annoy everyone,
Billy no mates ,get a grip FFS
@Michael Collins: no trump is the resident F O O L
@Michael Collins: So you agree they are British that’s a good lad glad you are starting to make sense.
South Park tribute act lol
@Alan Power: This triggered the right people … LOL
Irish is a dead language, Leaving Certificate students don’t even bother sitting the exam papers anymore, time to let go of it
@Alan Power: how come they can’t build enough gaelscoils to keep up with the demand?
@gordon kennedy: record numbers of leaving cert students didn’t sit the exams this year, seems like a waste of money to be building gaelscoils
@Alan Power: From trying to read your post, I feel there should be more investment in English grammar while they are at it.
@Longlin: it’s a while since the grammar police were on patrol lol
@Alan Power: not if they are better graduates. Rome wasn’t built in a day.
@Alan Power: clueless comment and with bad English grammar. Could do better.
@Peter McGlynn: Irish has been beaten into kids for the last hundred years, with minimal success. How much more time do you need?
@Jack Hayes: no less true, whatever way it’s structured
@Alan Power: There’s no such thing as a grammar police, just those that might educate you to communicate more accurately.
@Jack Hayes: very condescending attitude
@Alan Power: the Brit speaks
@Alan Power: well that’s a load of sh@@e for a start
@Alan Power: Record breaking figures don’t mean much without context. We might have broken the record for the amount of people who didn’t sit their Irish exam but we also have record breaking population numberssince before the famine. Even more relevant is that we have record breaking numbers of refugees sitting their leaving certs.
Not a fan of Republicanism or rap but I absolutely loved this movie. It deserves every award it has got so far and hopefully will get more in the future.
Is the film as bad as Gladiator 2?
@Alan Power: Your P0rnhub watchlist is of no interest to anyone here.
@Larry Betts: And that’s not maybe
@Alan Power: No
@Jack Hayes: Hi jack. I hope that doesn’t trigger security alarms that may be listening
Gwan the lads, f… the begrudgers!!
I’d personally have absolutely no interest in their music. Awful rubbish (to me). But you’d have to admire their highlighting of the Irish language. Now, If only we could get the department of education to jump on the bandwagon and modernise the way it’s taught, she might be revived and realise a new lease of life.
Plastic “republicans” terrorist loving ball bags who went begging to the Brits (their “enemy”) for a few shillings, to call it hypocrisy would be a compliment to these three amadán
Fan of Kneecap’s music. Thought the movie was only ok tbh.
M
I’ll happily lend them my dad’s certificate of commission into the army. It’s signed by an Oscar Traynor!
Just looks like a trio of clowns, with one wearing a gimp mask.
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