Lost amid the hullabaloo over the Euro 2016 draw and the McGregor fight was the raw and emotional interview that Cork camogie player Ashling Thompson did with RTE's 'Ray D'Arcy Show' Saturday evening.
Thompson, who captained Cork to the All-Ireland this year, is one of the most compelling people in Irish sport. She has spoken of her struggles with depression in the past, but on Saturday night, she opened up to the country about the hardship she has been through over the past six years.
The interview got off to a shaky enough start with D'Arcy asking Thompson about her outfit, but the tone changes quickly. Thompson's life changed when a car she was in was rear-ended in 2009. The injuries she suffered in the accident meant she couldn't hurl and the accident started her on a downward spiral. Then in 2012, as she was improving, two people very close to her took their own lives. While Thompson says she is not ready to speak fully about the extent of turmoil, she speaks movingly and openly about the physical and emotional toll that depression took on her.
She also talks about the roll that the Milford coach Frank Flannery played in helping her through an incredibly difficult time.
"I don't know what it was but we made such an unbelievable connection together. I had told no one about my ex-partner passing away. Then one night at training I burst out crying. He came right over to me. He knew there was something wrong. I told him straight away. He basically said, 'if you want to come with me, come with me and I will do everything in my power to get you through this difficult time.'"
It's a powerful interview and another instance of a well-known GAA player sharing the struggles with depression.
If you or someone you know is struggling with similar issues, Samaritans operate an around the clock helpline on 116123.
