Ireland’s first ‘Bench of Hope’ to be unveiled by Darkness Into Light founders at Malin Head

Johnny and Gertie Fox were the founding committee members of Darkness into Light, which first began with over 400 participants and is now undertaken by hundreds of thousands of people right across the world.

The couple’s dedication to highlighting mental health continues to open up and impact the conversations surroundings mental illness in Ireland, along with helping to place the spotlight on funding and policy across the country.

The couple has been impacted by heartbreaking tragedy themselves, with their first son Robert sadly passing away in 2006 from cancer. Just under two years later, their son Fergal, died by suicide at the young age of 24.

In 1979, Johnny was the first person to complete a solo run from Malin Head to Mizen Head, thus inspiring a life of fundraising, awareness and spreading hope that eventually became Darkness Into Light.

The couple’s son, Sean, spoke to the Journal this week about the Bench of Hope. He said the family wanted to place it at Malin Head as it is where his father’s first fundraiser began and also due to the fact it is at the top of Ireland ‘and from the top, everything flows down.’

Sean outlined how his father and mother, who both still sit on the Darkness to Light committee, are dedicated to mental health awareness and ‘very much into the idea that you need a space for your head, you need to talk and people need to have that avenue to be able to speak and share.’

He added: “We purposely called this the Bench of Hope as everyone needs hope. Anyone who undertakes walks or runs etc are doing so in the hope that funds will come in and a cure will be found. Dad did it out of his love for the people he knew and lost. The Malin Head bench is the first, but we hope to get many more in place and I’d be chuffed if we could get one in Mizen Head. The idea of it is that people could go and sit and reflect, meet with a friend, smile at a stranger and either give hope or take away some hope. It’s there as a space to sit and reflect and clear your head.”

The bench, made of sandstone, will be erected at the carpark. A plinth, with the word ‘HOPE’ and a poem titled ‘Share Your Light’ will stand alongside it. The poem was written by Valerie Fitzpatrick, an assistant principal, English and Spanish teacher and guidance councillor at St Mary’s College in Naas. Sean paid tribute to Valerie for her support, as well as Fiona Doherty from Donegal County Council, ‘who has been excellent from the beginning,’ Donegal County Councillors and Malin Head man Ali Farren.

“The poem is called ‘Share Your Light’ as everyone, no matter who we are, has light. It may be dull at certain points of our life, but as we get into contact with certain people, that light grows. My parents’ light was very low after their losses, but out of a lot of pain and heartache, a lot of joy and support has come for other people.”

Sean outlined how the bench is not being put in place ‘for us as a family, for ourselves,’ but for the people of Malin Head and those who will visit there.,

“My grandmother always taught us that if we went somewhere, we were to leave a deposit of something positive - that you always go with a smile and leave people with a smile. So that’s the idea of it.

“We’re not going to Malin Head to put it there for us personally, but we’re putting it there for the people who come there.”

Johnny Fox is looking forward to visiting Malin Head once again this weekend, with his ‘rock’ Gertie and family. He and said he is delighted the bench is going to be ‘there in beautiful, scenic Malin Head for people to sit and reminisce and concentrate and hope.’

“Without hope, then everything is lost. Hope is what makes the world go around.”

The unveiling of the bench will take place this Sunday at Malin head car park at 3pm, with ribbon cutting at 3.30pm, sponsored by Electric Ireland.

Everyone is very much welcome to attend and the family would be delighted to see you all.

Anyone who would like to know more about a Bench of Hope can contact [email protected] or [email protected].