‘Today might be a bad day, but tomorrow doesn’t have to be’

Jimmy Devine knows all about suffering in silence, and his fervent wish is that no one else feels alone with their problems. He urges anyone in distress to take the first step, talk to somebody and look for help because there is a lot of assistance out there, something he knows from his own personal experience.

That’s his big motivation for organising the Maroon Charity Run next March in aid of Pieta, an organisation that didn’t even exist 15 years ago when he was first diagnosed with depression.

The Athlone resident is determined to raise awareness of their work, raise funds for their vital services and let people know that it’s okay not to be okay and that there is hope out there amid the darkness.

The fundraiser, launched last weekend in The Olive Bar, Athlone, will see 49 others run alongside him from Athlone, where he has lived and worked for the last 30 years, the 26 miles or so to Fohenagh in Co Galway, his home parish.

Along the way the group will stop off at several local GAA pitches and people are being encouraged to run or walk a lap with the group to remember a loved one or someone going through a difficult time.

During our chat Jimmy repeatedly stresses that the event is not all about him and there are so many he has to thank so far, not least the 49 “fabulous people” who have agreed to participate alongside him, and he has huge gratitude for his great friend Joe Kelly, the many sponsors like Mary Croughan in SuperValu, Ballymahon Road, Athlone, supporters, friends and all of the GAA clubs and sporting organisations getting behind the venture, in particular, his home club of Ahascragh-Fohenagh.

“It’s going to be an honour and a privilege to run alongside them,” he says of the fellow runners. Jimmy jokes that prior to organising this event, the last time he ran was for Junior B hurling training about 25 years ago and he skipped half the laps!

Now, the Galway man is enjoying his training so much he’s being told to slow down a bit.

A marathon was always on his bucket list, and Jimmy, who now works in UPS but who many people will know from his days working in a local bank, is feeling great as result of this “brilliant outlet”.

“The way I look at it, I have put up the goal posts and lined the pitch, put the flags and left the ball in the middle. It’s up to everyone else to take it up,” he says of his event, thanking a big group of people who are helping him.

Again and again during our conversation Jimmy repeats the words that the clown is often the saddest man in the circus, and people can hide behind laughter like he did.

Despite having a fantastic network of friends, close family (he’s one of ten) and great work colleagues, he started avoiding everybody, telling everyone he was fine after a difficulty sleeping spiralled 15 years ago.

“When you don’t sleep your mind races, physically you’re going into work, and work by the way were fabulous to me, but you’re going in and you are exhausted. You’re basically setting alarms for 7.30am knowing full well you’d be awake. And small things mount up,” recalls Jimmy,

“Basically, what I did was I avoided calls, I told everyone I was fine. But literally what I did for two weeks was sit in bed, I wasn’t eating anything.

“I went back to work after the two weeks, I had been on holidays. Work thought I was at home and home thought I was at work. I walked into work and one of my colleagues Sandra asked if I was okay. I said I was. She said ‘you’re not Jim’ and then I just said basically that I needed help.”

This was a turning point for the massive hurling fan who “got heaps of help” and support from a wide network of people to whom he’s very thankful.

“That’s my motive for doing this – people are suffering in silence and I want them to know that they can talk and listen and look for help because there is help out there and good people out there.

“It’s nothing to be ashamed of to say that you suffer from depression, far from it. It’s made me a stronger person I have no doubt about it,” stresses Jimmy, who says attitudes have changed considerably since he was first diagnosed, thanks to the work of many organisations like Pieta and others.

“15 years ago, people would have said ‘that’s all in his head’ or ‘he’s just a lazy person why doesn’t he get out of bed?’ But that has changed, thankfully,” underlines Jimmy, who says there is still bit more change needed.

While there have been a few bouts of depression since, thankfully Jimmy is “flying at the minute” and he credits having a better understanding of the triggers, counselling which was “tough at the start”, diet, sleep and physical exercise as vital to managing the condition.

Talking to people and being open about his depression has been really important for him too, and many men in distress, unable to talk to others have come to him in the intervening years and he has helped them access medical help and counselling.

“I know there is a light at the end of the tunnel and I have gone through it, and I’ll never get to that level again,” he says, adding that this time of a year can be difficult for a lot of people. “There are times when you are in good form you could climb Mount Everest, but when you’re at a low, even getting out of bed, taking care of yourself is a chore, a mountain.”

Jimmy, who is hugely thankful to his partner Sinéad and her family, and his own family for all they have done for him, is keen to promote a message of hope.

“I’m living proof that you can go from being in a dark place to a level place or better. If I can do it, anybody can. The most important thing is to talk to someone, get help.”

“When I started talking to people, I had a knot in my stomach, but every time I talked the knot unwound... every time you talk it eases a small bit,” he advises. “Today might be a bad day, but tomorrow doesn’t have to be.”

Maroon will be out in force for marathon run

Months out from the Maroon Charity Run and Jimmy Devine has already raised €5,000 for Pieta, a total he hopes to add to substantially as the event on March 9 nears.

The maroon of Westmeath and his native Galway will be out in force on the day as he takes on the marathon challenge with 49 others from Athlone to Fohenagh, his home parish.

Lots of current and ex-GAA stars will be out supporting the event which will start at Garrycastle GAA pitch before moving to another Athlone venue, then onto Athlone GAA club to do a lap where people can join in.

The group will then move across the town to the new bridge where Southern Gaels underage players will line the bridge in a special gesture to the participants. “I'm calling it into the west, because it's been a tradition until recently for the teams in Galway to walk the cup across the bridge,” Jimmy explains, adding that the real running will begin in Monksland before stopping off to do a lap at Clann na nGael, Padraig Pearses, Ballinasloe GAA, Ahascragh GAA, and finally the last 5km to Fohenagh.

“No doubt about it I'll be crying when I reach Fohenagh but it will be tears of joy,” Jimmy says, thanking all who turned out last Saturday in The Olive Bar for the event launch.

Anyone who wants to get involved in any way or sponsor the event should contact jimmybdevine@gmail.com or call 087 9752970 or find Jimmy Devine on Facebook.

Donate here: https://www.idonate.ie/fundraiser/co12?fbclid=IwAR1QoQmYffK4YdkJH_RFlf_NHMBzf4ztVflX6SmtxBAIGmK8bVAdTh4YF2k