I Love Limerick Article- The Coffee Morning no one came to and why that matters

Safer Gambling Awareness Week ran from 17–23 November. On Friday morning, we opened the doors of Southill Family Resource Centre from 10 am to 12 pm for a drop-in coffee morning. The kettle was on, the biscuits were ready, but nobody came.

As I stood in that empty room, I thought: “This silence tells the real story. Gambling harm is still one of Limerick’s most hidden struggles, wrapped in shame and silence.”

Earlier in the week, I had delivered an interactive workshop at Coolmine Mid West. That session was full of conversation and connection. “When people sit together, talk openly, and realise they’re not alone, that’s when stigma begins to break down,” I explained to the group. Workshops like that show how powerful it can be to share experiences in a safe space.

Problematic gambling rarely begins with a crisis. “It usually starts small — a €5 bet ‘just this once,’ then €10, €20, €50. Before long, you’re borrowing money, and the damage is serious.” Today, the danger is amplified because gambling is online, instant, and gamified. “Tens of thousands, sometimes hundreds of thousands of euros can disappear in weeks on slots or wheel games, often without anyone else ever knowing.”

But here’s the hopeful part: help works. “Most people who reach out end up with happier, more settled lives than they had even before gambling took over,” I often tell new clients. At Southill Gambling Support Service, we offer free, confidential one-to-one counselling, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, family support, blocking software like Gamban or BetBlocker, and practical tools to manage triggers and rebuild finances.

Our service is still young — just nine months old — but already we’ve supported individuals and families from across Limerick city and county. “Being part of a national network of 20 new Gambling Awareness Trust-funded programmes means we’re never working alone. We can draw on the expertise of over 20 specialist gambling counsellors and psychotherapists, so we can support not just the gambler but the entire family system.”

The message I want to leave people with is simple: “If gambling has stopped feeling like harmless fun and started feeling like something you hide, please don’t wait another day.”