The excitement and giddiness were intoxicating and the warm air coming from the swimming pool brought with it the promising smell of chlorine and fun.

After a few minutes of splashing and diving under the water, a girl from our estate called me over and told me someone was under the water and wasn’t moving. I dutifully dived under and saw the person suspended 2ft under the surface.

I tugged on her shoulder to grab her attention, but instead of an immediate reaction, her body slowly swivelled until her face was inches from mine.

I instantly recognised my 11-year-old friend Philomena.

At 13 years of age, I carried the lifeless body of my 11-year-old friend to the edge of the pool.

Two lifeguards started running towards Philomena and immediately attempted to resuscitate her. However, 20 minutes later she was pronounced dead.

I still don’t remember anything from the point of leaving the pool to being outside some 30 minutes later.

Philomena’s parents had arrived. The screams of agony from her mother still haunt me to this day.

Her father was in an obvious state of shock and refused to believe his daughter had drowned.

A garda asked us what had happened.

After that, I was never contacted again by any authority. I was never offered counselling or support.

For the next 16 years, I did not enter a swimming pool and to this day the smell of chlorine triggers memories of that day.

It was the beginning of a period in my life during which I experienced frequent night terror and daytime panic attacks.

The trauma I endured was not unique to any one community, but mental health issues and suicide certainly do play favourites. The statistics say Travellers are more likely to take their own lives, but the reality is that everyone in this world is in its shadowy crosshairs.

The global pandemic has created more isolation for our rural elders, with loneliness being the most common cause of despair.

The youth of Ireland are facing a time when they can only dream of owning a house.

If we could only make one change in our lives, I would suggest it be to listen more to your peers and family, ask them how they are and sometimes don’t just accept the half-hearted fob-off of “I’m grand”.

Irish Travellers continue to suffer more from suicide and mental health issues, as has been outlined in various studies and statistics. While Travellers represent around 1% of the population, they account for 10% of those using mental health services.

The Traveller mental health network protest was aimed at highlighting the need for more services and for more to be done to support the groups in their efforts to stop the needless deaths.

In my darkest hours as a teenager, I simply wanted someone to ask me if I was OK and to walk me through what I was feeling.

I needed to be told that it was normal for the mind to fracture under severe stress and trauma, I just needed to be shown a way forward.

Everyone, no matter their background, deserves that much.