Anthony W. Clare

Spike Milligan recalls the traumas of his childhood, his highly-strung mother, his largely absent father, the cruelties of a colonial upbringing, the break-up of his first marriage, the mortar bomb which blew him up in Italy and the overwork which gave him a mental breakdown during the "Goon Show".

This text looks at the issue of suicide in the Irish context. It takes a cultural approach by addressing two fundamental questions: 'why has there been an increase in suicide in Ireland in recent years?' and 'what changes has Ireland seen that other countries have not?'.