Several Darkness Into Light walks across Waterford have been cancelled this year after local organisers said they were protesting against Pieta’s decision to close its longstanding premises in the city.
The annual 5km fundraiser, which supports Pieta’s suicide prevention and self-harm services, is due to take place across Ireland in the early hours of Saturday morning, with participants gathering at 4.15am in communities nationwide.
However, organisers behind the traditional walks in Waterford city and county confirmed the events would not go ahead locally this year following controversy surrounding the planned closure of the charity’s Pieta South East centre at Waterside in Waterford city.
The decision has sparked concern among supporters and volunteers who say the facility has become an important part of the community over the past decade.
Darkness Into Light committee chairperson Des Purcell said organisers were frustrated by both the closure itself and the way it had been communicated to the local committee.
“They are closing that facility that has been in Waterford for the last nine or ten years. They have told us that. They were unclear on what they are doing [next],” he said.
“This facility was fully professionally staffed by qualified counsellors. It is a very substantial loss to the community given the type of facilities that were being provided.”
Mr Purcell added that committee members were also unhappy with how the announcement was handled by the charity’s head office.
Pieta has insisted services in Waterford are not being withdrawn and says it is instead transitioning to a new “co-located model” alongside other health and community organisations.
The charity confirmed that services are continuing at the Waterside premises for now while work continues on identifying a replacement location.
However, details surrounding the new premises — including where it will be located and when the move will happen — have yet to be announced, fuelling uncertainty locally.
There are also concerns among supporters about the potential loss of a visible city-centre presence for Pieta, as well as fears surrounding possible job losses linked to the move.
In a statement, Pieta CEO Stephanie Manahan said the organisation remained committed to maintaining services in the region.
She said: “We will continue to maintain our service levels in Waterford. For example, in 2025, Pieta therapists supporting Waterford worked with 359 people and delivered 1,561 support sessions.”
Ms Manahan acknowledged concerns within the community but stressed support services would continue unchanged.
“We understand there has been concern among our supporters in Waterford. We have reassured our local Waterford community that our level of support for people remains unchanged,” she said.
The CEO also expressed disappointment that the official Darkness Into Light events would not proceed in the area this year.
“Darkness Into Light is our flagship fundraiser, and we rely heavily on the donations it brings in to keep our services going,” she said.
Despite the cancellation of the traditional walks, alternative community events are still taking place across parts of Waterford this weekend in support of other mental health and suicide prevention organisations.
One such event is the ‘Sunrise Stroll’ in Tramore, organised by Fionnuala Cromer, who had previously coordinated the local Darkness Into Light walk during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The new event will raise funds for local suicide prevention organisation Re-A-Suir.
Ms Cromer said she wanted to preserve the strong sense of community and support associated with Darkness Into Light despite this year’s dispute.
“My reasons for doing the walk are simple… everybody has been touched in some shape or form by suicide,” she said.
“But it is not just suicide. It is the wider picture. We need more resources to help people of all ages in terms of counselling. It’s the talking, the chats, the cups of tea, the 3am phone calls if people are feeling low.”
While Waterford’s official events have been cancelled, Pieta confirmed that 177 Darkness Into Light walks will still take place across the country this weekend.
The charity also noted that a walk is still scheduled to go ahead in Ballymacarbry, while several groups in Waterford have signed up for the organisation’s “Take Part Your Own Way” initiative.
This post discusses suicide and may be difficult for some people to watch. Please take care while watching. If you or someone you know needs support, Pieta’s 24/7 Crisis Helpline is available on 1800 247 247, or you can text HELP to 51444
