On 6th May 2019, at the young age of 28, my son Ciaran Phelan sadly took his own life.

Ciaran was loved by so many. He was a kind, caring and loving young man who gave his all to everything he did. He had a promising future ahead of him, having recently started a job that he was so excited about. He loved sport, music and travel, and shared his passions with his 3 brothers.

He had a close and supportive network of family and friends from whom he hid the problems he was struggling with. Only in his last few weeks did he share with a few that life was not going quite to plan but, as we now finding out, he only gave us a glimpse of his worries. He knew he had the support of those closest to him, and together we had made plans for him to move back to his family home. But it was not to be.

Ciaran leaves behind family and friends who have not yet come to terms with the fact that he has gone. It is impossible to comprehend life without Ciaran, and there are no words that can even begin to describe the emptiness, the grief, the sadness, the shock and the disbelief that we are all experiencing right now, and will continue to deal with long into the future.

In the past few weeks we have learnt that, tragically, Ciaran’s situation is not unique. In the U.K., suicide is the single biggest killer of men under 45 - resulting in 12 men taking their own lives every single day. These statistics are shocking, heartbreaking and unacceptable.

Things need to change.

We have requested no flowers for Ciaran’s funeral, and would instead like to ask for donations to a worthy cause. It is very early days for us, and we have not decided on a specific charity or organisation as of yet, but we are adamant that the money will go to supporting young men when they are at their most vulnerable.

We are aware that charities like this exist, but we would like to donate to a cause that promotes itself in the places that young men often frequent – sporting events, gigs, festivals, bars etc. We need to ensure not only that such help exists, but that it is designed to reach people when they need it most.

Thank you in advance for your kindness, generosity and words of support.

Ciaran’s family