The main issues for people calling the Athlone and Midlands branch of the Samaritans during Covid were loneliness and fear.
That's according to Tom Fitzpatrick from the organisation who was speaking on the Let's Talk show this afternoon.
The Samaritans are celebrating 30 years in the town this year and 13 of the original volunteers are still part of the 90 strong group who take calls on a regular basis.
Tom Fitzpatrick says the service faced its own issues during Covid when many volunteers weren't available and others had to fill in for them to ensure it kept going.
He spoke to Anne Norris on the Let's Talk show about the beginning of the Athlone branch and the particular challenges that Covid brought.
You can listen to the full interview with Tom here
