Project: Men & Masculinity in Limerick

Roy O' Halloran

"When I got into skateboarding I found a lot more role models that suited my personality and the person that I wanted to be. I was instantly glued to that because it had such a diverse demographic that you didn't need to be a certain way or have a certain type of persona.

I was able to pick and choose bits and pieces, personalities that I liked in skateboarding, even different styles of clothes, and that made me feel more at home or more congruent with the identity that I wanted to have.

In my professional life, I'm a social care worker, working with the homeless demographic and the youth population.

I feel that if you come from a more affluent background, you live a healthier, longer lasting lifestyle while there's generally a lot more health risks with lower economic areas.

For example, if you grow up homeless from a young age, you end up fighting for resources constantly or fighting for just basic fundamental human rights, whereas a person from a higher class area doesn't have to do that.

You're automatically growing up with this masculine sense of "I need to prove myself, I'm in a homeless shelter, I'm fighting all of these people. I need to find a place to tap in town, and I need to show people that they can't walk all over me in the homeless sevice.""

Conny O' Connor

"Everyone likes looking well and I think looking well is just a byproduct of feeling well and feeling healthy. Every grandparent in the world will say, "health is wealth".

Human beings are perfectly evolved to keep moving all the time. When we're stagnant it really screws us up physically, mentally, and spiritually.

So its prioritising health so you have this body that can take you through this eighty plus year journey. So many endorphins are released when you do that and when you push your body it keeps your brain happy. Your brain is saying "this is what we're able to do, lets keep doing it, its really good for us."

I've been on the suicide watch for six months now I think. I don't think I've spoken to somebody who was depressed and sober too. Thats kind of a big thing.

Theres so many people out there going through really horrible stuff that they're not able to cope with on their own, and then they'll resort to using an outside substance which kind of works in the moment, but it isn't a good long term strategy.

I think alcohol plays a massive role in people deciding to take the final step. The alcohol probably allows them to go through with what they're probably too scared to do when they're sober. I wonder how many people would have gone through with that if they had been sober and were able to think with a slightly clearer mind."

Mike O'Doherty

"Growing up in Moyross was an experience alright. I won't say I have a chip on my shoulder about the place but I definitely did not fit in there. I had a really high pitched voice, roaring red hair, I spoke like I am speaking now so I didn't look or sound acceptable I suppose. Secondary schools were selective and specifically excluded boys who were from places that were seen as disadvantaged areas. I was lucky and I got into St. Enda's but that meant going across to Southill every morning and again, more of the same. There was absolutely no reprieve whatsoever.

So when I turned 16 and I got my first full-time job, I was among people who were actually sound, made loads of friends and was accepted by a group of people. It was definitely a character building youth that I had.

And then I'd spend every weekend at my grandparents house and it was warm and lovely and I did gardening with my Grandfather, and went downtown with my Nan and did some cooking together, y'know, all of that lovely stuff. Watching telly, chilling out, and just being safe.

Counselling is expensive. If you need counselling you have to come up with that money and if you do or don't have a medical card, you/re still looking at a lengthly wait to talk to someone. I think we all know someone who has needed counselling and just couldn't get it. That in itself is awful, and thats just for the talking part. Its not for the community part, its not for the feeling like you belong to a group part".