Young Offaly man triumphs over bullying with support from Tullamore Training Centre

When Conor Kavanagh from Banagher, told the powerful and moving story of his struggles in school, the relentless bullying, and the lack of support he received, he held the audience spellbound at Tullamore Community Training Centre.

Conor was speaking at the opening of a new sensory room and mind space at the centre located at Castle Buildings.

''My childhood was filled with joy, playing on the Green with my cousins setting up lemonade stands on the kerb and swimming down by the Shannon. By the time I left primary school and entered secondary school my life changed dramatically. The smile, laugh, character and spirit that had defined me were shattered into millions of pieces. Throughout my teenage years I struggled deeply to find my place in this world. I can honestly say my school years were the worst years of my life.

"Lunchtimes were spent alone, I was pushed down stair cases, had my head bashed off an art room wall, my fingers crushed in my locker door and was isolated in class. Homophobic slurs and physical and verbal abuse became a daily occurrence. Acts of pure cruelty driven by fear of the word Gay. At that time same sex marriage had only recently been legalised in Ireland. The same people who ran my secondary school, along with the children who attended, sat side by side in my local chapel. When my mum sought support from the local priest who held a significant role within the school his response was devastating. Sitting in our living room I was told I would never be accepted in the eyes of the church. Homosexuality is a sin and the lifestyle you are living, is living in sin. We all have tendencies and acting on those tendencies is living in sin. I was just 14 years old,'' said Conor.

''I was outed as Gay to my entire community through social media. From that moment my school didn't support me, neither did my community. Navigating life as the only openly Gay person in the village throughout the rest of my teenage years was an isolating and painful experience. If only I had a sensory room at that time I would have had a safe place to go to at lunch time. A place to be, to relax. I faced public scrutiny but with the incredible support of my family I survived. I was a regular patient at CAMS - Childhood Adolescent Mental Health Services throughout my teenage years.

''Diagnosed with anorexia nervosa, OCD, Anxiety, and PTSD all stemmed from the trauma I was enduring. After changing secondary schools the bullying continued and by the age of 15, I dropped out of mainstream schools leaving with only my Junior Certificate. It wasn't long before I reached a point of desperation attempting to take my own life,'' he said.

Conor went on to praise the the doctors and nurses who he said ''tried desperately throughout the night to save me and I will be forever grateful to them.''

His belief in God was also evident. ''Each time my community discriminated against me for who I am, my self esteem, sense of worth were crushed. It was not God's will that I tried to end my life that night. Without the lifesaving care of doctors and nurses I would not be standing here today.

I was hospitalised in an adult psychiatric facility in the midlands, confined to a room overlooking a courtyard in a setting no child should ever find themselves in. I was placed in one-to-one supervision, stripped of all dignity and privacy and was watched as I used the toilet or took a shower. I vividly remember crying as I asked the nurse if I could please pull the curtains around me because I did not want her to see me without clothes on. The consultant psychiatrist told me I would be a revolving door patient for the rest of my life and I would amount to nothing. I was just 15 years old.''

Conor was hospitalised twice after that but it was as an inpatient in a Dublin unit which set him on the path to recovery and education. He spoke of an African lady who encouraged him and a mental health nurse who often sat with him throughout the night watching TV.

With further encouragement from others, Conor explored the QQI system and alternative groups within education and his dream of becoming a registered nurse began to look like a distinct possibility.

''At age of 16, I enrolled in Tullamore Community Training Centre and studied for my QQI Level 4 in Childcare studies. With the guidance of the wonderful tutors who believed in me and showed me kindness and acceptance for who I am alongside the amazing friends I met there,'' Conor said he thrived.

He spent two years in Tullamore Community Centre while continuing with his mental health recovery journey.

He is now studying to be a nurse in University in Derry and is enjoying every minute of it.

He recalls how in the hospital the sensory room became a sanctuary for him filled with lights, blankets, cushions and comfortable mats. ''Along with calming music and coloured lights it was a place where I could just be away from the world. Sometimes we just need that time, I truly believe the sensory room at the CTC will enhance students' overall wellbeing and educational experiences,'' he said.