Write a poem for Movember

A young Cork writer is encouraging the country to get poetic this Movember and shine a light on mental health stigma in Ireland.

Following his TEDx Talk last year, 29 year old Daragh Fleming has called on the nation to put pen to paper and share poems relating to mental health for the 30 Poems of November challenge.

Daragh’s call marks 21 years since Movember started in Ireland, an annual event that sees men grow moustaches in November to raise awareness of men's health issues.

When he was 17, Daragh’s best friend took his own life. Since then, he has become a passionate advocate for “normalising the conversation” about mental health.

“He was 18 at the time,” said Daragh.

“We had no idea he was struggling. From the outside looking in, his life seemed good. He seemed happy. The next day he was gone.”

Daragh said he grieved for months after the loss of his friend, a grief that morphed into depression, making him numb to the world and unable to connect with anything or anyone.

Since then, he’s been doing anything and everything he can to prevent people from taking their own lives.

“Talking openly and honestly about mental health is the best way I know to make people feel comfortable about talking about their own struggles,” he explained.

“Growing up in Ireland, we were taught that suicide was a sin. In fact, until 1994 it was against the law. So, men today are dealing with decades of being told not to talk about their feelings. There was - and in lots of ways still is - stigma around admitting you are struggling and asking for help, which is why it is essential to find healthy outlets,” said Daragh.

Daragh is passionate about using creativity to enhance mental health and believes that poetry can be lifesaving. His TEDx Talk on the subject has recently been nominated for a Mental Health Media Award 2024.

“I find comfort in poetry which is why I decided to start the 30 Poems of November challenge,’ he explained.

For the 30 days of November, Daragh will be sharing a poem sent to him from someone in Ireland, starting with his own piece ‘Blue Lights’ which was written to highlight some of the unspoken struggles that men face on a daily basis.

Daragh admits that the death of his friend led him on a creative path he may not have otherwise found.

“I had always loved reading and writing but it was a therapist that encouraged me to explore it further,” he recalled.

“I am now impassioned to share the mental health benefits of being creative. On World Suicide Day last month, I posted a video of one of my poems. The next day I got a message from a woman to say she had been in a bad way the night before and had contemplated ending her life. She said she watched the poem over and over and shared it with friends as a way of putting into words what she could never articulate.”

Movember is a month-long fundraising and awareness campaign starting on 1 November.

During Movember, men sign up to grow a moustache for 30 days, getting friends, family and colleagues to donate to their effort. Moustache or no moustache, there are countless ways to show support and get involved, from moving 60km in the month, to hosting an event, or taking on an epic challenge.

For more information, visitmovember.com.