The study referred to by the Deputy, A Comparison of Suicide in Two Irish Counties by John Connolly, Anne Cullen, Dermot Walsh, Sheila McGauran and Darra Phelan, was published in the Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine in December 1999. It set out to determine to what extent official suicide rates in counties Kildare and Mayo underestimated the rates as clinically determined, and to examine and compare the association between the socio-demographic characteristics of the two Irish counties and trends in the suicide rates.
The results of the study showed that neither county presented a significant change in suicide mortality over time from 1988 to 1994. It found that Kildare males were more likely to choose hanging or shooting as a method of suicide than their counterparts in Mayo. The authors pointed to the increased availability of firearms in Kildare, due to the presence of a large military establishment, as to the possible reason for this choice and means of committing suicide. It also showed that in Mayo the commonest method of suicide for both sexes was drowning, reflecting tradition and access to means. Mayo is a coastal county with many rivers and lakes. The study concluded that detailed local research was needed before implementing suicide prevention programmes due to the many demographic differences and differences in traditions and choice of method of suicide that existed between counties.