Dana Backs Charity for Suicide Bereaved

national | public consultation / irish social forum | press release

Wednesday March 19, 2008 02:33

by Console Snowdrop Campaign - Console

Console Launches Major Snowdrop Campaign

As Ireland’s long history of success in the Eurovision Song Contest descends into a puppet show, the country’s first-ever winning song experiences a revival on airwaves nationwide.

This week, “All Kinds of Everything” resurfaces, 38 years after the song won the Eurovision Song Contest for Ireland for the first time ever.

Dana Backs Console Snowdrop Campaign

As Ireland’s long history of success in the Eurovision Song Contest descends into a puppet show, the country’s first-ever winning song experiences a revival on airwaves nationwide.

This week, “All Kinds of Everything” resurfaces, 38 years after the song won the Eurovision Song Contest for Ireland for the first time ever.

Dana, a.k.a. Rosemary Scallon has made the ‘Snowdrops and Daffodils’ song available to help raise funds for a new Snowdrop Campaign to support Irish people who have been bereaved by suicide. The song will played as the background to a radio ad with Dana calling on the public to support Snowdrop days.

Console, the National organisation for the suicide bereaved is launching National Snowdrop Day, year one of a permanent national initiative to raise vital funds to develop professional Counselling, Support and Helpline Services to those bereaved by suicide.

The major campaign aimed at alleviating the tragic effects of suicide in this country launches across Ireland on Thursday, the 27th of March 2008 and sees the introduction of an annual national Snowdrop Day where the public will be encouraged to support the important cause by purchasing a snowdrop pin as a symbol of hope for €3.

For people who may not have the opportunity to purchase the pin during that period, Console has also launched a special mobile phone text number. The public can make a donation to Console’s Snowdrop campaign by texting “SNOW” to 57030 for a one off cost of €2.50, proceeds of which will go directly to the Console Snowdrop campaign.

The minute Dana heard about the campaign through a friend from Console, she was immediately transported back to 1970 and the opening line “Snowdrops and Daffodils”.

“It just seemed like the song was almost written for the Snowdrop Campaign, and I told Console if they could use the song in any way to help their campaign, I would be thrilled to support them.”

Margaret Tierney, of Console says it is vital for the public to view Snowdrop Day as hugely positive: “While the heritage of this campaign is inherently tragic, Snowdrop Day is a positive departure for tackling the problem of suicide and assisting the suicide bereaved in this country”

“Suicide bereavement affects so many people and by simply purchasing the snowdrop pin, our little symbol of hope, each individual plays a vital role in alleviating the agony of their fellow citizens.”

With approximately 500 deaths by suicide in Ireland annually and an estimated 6 individuals personally affected by each of these deaths, there are very few Irish citizens who have not been touched by the tragedy of suicide.

Console was established in 2002 by families that had experienced the grief of losing a loved one through suicide to help the thousands of people whose lives were torn apart by the devastation of this loss.

Since its foundation, Console has developed into a professional organisation, responding to the needs of those bereaved through suicide within the community. Console is a national service with offices in Dublin, Galway, Limerick and Waterford.

A host of high profile figures have come on board to support Console’s Snowdrop Campaign and these names will be announced next week.

Major retailers, Dunnes Stores and Marks and Spencer as well as other businesses throughout Ireland will be supporting Console’s Snowdrop Campaign by selling snowdrop pins in their retail outlets in Ireland from launch day until the end of April 2008.

Snowdrops

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Comments (3 of 3)

the complete hymnsheet so you can sing along.

by industrial strength

Wed Mar 19, 2008 02:55

Snowdrops and daffodils, butterflies and bees
Sail boats and fishermen, things of the sea
Wishing wells, wedding bells, early morning dew
All kinds of everything reminds me of you

Seagulls and areoplanes, things of the sky
Winds that go howling, breezes that sigh
City sights, neon lights, grey skies or blue
All kinds of everything reminds me of you

Summer time, winter time, spring and autumn too
Monday, tuesday, everyday I think of you

Dances, romances, things of the night
Sunshine and holidays, postcards to write
Budding trees, autumn leaves, a snowflake or two
All kinds of everything reminds me of you

Summer time winter time spring and autumn too
Seasons will never change the way that I love you

Dances, romances, things of the night
Sunshine and holidays, postcards to write
Budding trees, autumn leaves, a snowflake or two
All kinds of everything reminds me of you

All kinds of everything reminds me of you

____________________________________

All Kinds Of Everything - 18/04/1970 & 2 weeks at number 1 - 16 weeks on the chart in total,
& I'm sure everyone agrees they don't write songs like that anymore. Back in the days when "dances, romances, things of the night" were innocent words free of any hidden messages.

it was a great year for snowdrops.

Cynicism supplants decorum

by Horace

Wed Mar 19, 2008 10:13

Pop stars that die from drug overdoses are hero-worshipped. Their graves become shrines for streams of visiting pop fans. Dana was politically naive but she never lived it up in heavily guarded mansions or made hip comments on world injustice while shuffling income to offshore accounts for tax avoidance purposes. Now I see she is making her song available to a suicide bereaving voluntary agency. The cynics are already scoffing at her 1970 innocence, lack of eroticism (today's inadequate substitute for love) and lack of exotic dress sense. It reminds me of lines by two twentieth century poets: 1. from T.S.Eliot: " Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?"
2. from W.B.Yeats: "...and everywhere the ceremony of innocence is drowned."

Snowdrops are healthier than overdoses of cocaine tablets.

Dana as a spokesperson

by Mary

Wed Mar 19, 2008 22:58

I think the decision taken by Dana to help Console in their Snowdrop Campaign is something to be lauded.

Suicide in Ireland may no longer be a crime but it is still one of the main causes of death in this country and one of the least talked about, never mind a subject matter that many people would wish not to be associated with. Should Console and Dana manage to bring some publicity to this topic resulting in greater awareness on a national scale then then that's already an excellent result (who cares about how she dressed in the 1970s!).

This campaign could have an end-product of more openness in talking about suicide and then we would have information as to why people feel this way - Dana cannot possibly know the reasons why every person who chooses to take their life does so, no one knows this, which is why a campaign of this nature is so important.

Although having a song with snowdrops in the title is a nice touch.

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Dana Backs Charity for Suicide Bereaved

Comments (3 of 3)