Mental health and photography in Derry-Londonderry meet in Project 0309, a body of work rooted in grief, resilience, and survival. Lough Foyle is beautiful, running like a lifeline through our city. Yet for me, and for many others in Derry-Londonderry, its waters also hold memory and loss.
Suicide has cut through Northern Ireland in ways that statistics can never fully explain. Post-conflict, more lives have been lost to suicide than were lost during the Troubles. Behind every number is a name, a family, a story. For us, it was my cousin. He will never be just another statistic.
This is where Project 0309 began.
Walking the Search Routes
When my cousin went missing, we searched for six days along the banks of the Foyle. Those walks which for others might be peaceful routes through nature — became paths of desperation. Each bend of the river carried a weight I still feel in my chest.
The Foyle is deceptive. Flotsam and jetsam drift across its surface, playing tricks on the eye. Every ripple could be something. Every object might be a clue. We searched not just with our feet, but with hope and dread in equal measure.Photography became my way of tracing those routes. Each image marks not just a landscape, but a state of mind: the uncertainty, the waiting, the unbearable stillness before the truth arrives. In that way, mental health photography in Derry became a witness to grief.
The Role of Photography in Grief
For me, the camera became more than a tool. It became a witness. It allowed me to express what words could not carry. Express my heavy heart.
Project 0309 is not about spectacle. It does not romanticise trauma. Instead, it records the perspective of those left behind — the families and communities who must search, who must look, who must carry each step of the waiting.
Photography gave me language when I had none. Through it, I began to process not only loss, but the way grief reshapes familiar places. The riverbank will never look the same to me.
Mental Health in Derry-Londonderry
Derry is a city of resilience. But it is also a city where mental health struggles remain raw and visible. The Foyle, for all its beauty, is also a site of deep pain. To walk beside it is to carry both truths: its life-giving presence, and its role as a place of loss.
Mental health and photography in Derry-Londonderry converge in this work to show that suicide is not a distant problem. It is here, woven into the fabric of families, communities, and our streets.
A Personal Reflection
Making this work was not easy. At times, it felt unbearable to revisit those walks. Yet in doing so, I found something I hadn’t expected: resilience. Not a resilience that denies grief, but one that carries it.
The photographs do not erase what happened. They do not make it less painful. But they stand as a record: of love, of searching, of the will to bring someone home.
For me, art became survival. It allowed me to move through trauma, to shape it into something visible. It turned silence into image, absence into presence.
Why I Continue
This blog is not only about loss, but about voice. Suicide has silenced too many. Through Project 0309, I hope to create a language of witnessing — to say that behind every statistic is a person, and behind every person is a family who keeps walking, keeps searching, keeps remembering.
If my work can open even one conversation about mental health and photography in Derry-Londonderry, then it matters. Because silence cannot carry this weight. Only truth can.
Resources
If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, please reach out:
- Samaritans: 116 123
- Lifeline NI: 0808 808 8000
- Aware NI: www.aware-ni.org
- Cruse Bereavement Care: 0808 808 1677
You are not alone.
in loving memory
FAQ: Project 0309
Q: What is Project 0309?
A: Project 0309 is a photography-based art project by Teresa Lyle, created after the loss of her cousin to suicide in Derry-Londonderry. It retraces the search routes along the River Foyle, reflecting on grief, resilience, and the lived impact of suicide on families and communities.
Q: Why is the River Foyle significant in discussions of mental health?
A: The River Foyle is a central landmark in Derry-Londonderry, but it is also linked to tragedy due to the high number of suicides associated with it. For many, the river represents both beauty and grief, making it a powerful symbol in conversations about mental health in Northern Ireland.
Q: How does photography help process grief and trauma?
A: Photography provides a way to witness and express emotions that may be too difficult to put into words. In Project 0309, it became a survival tool, turning silence into image and absence into presence, while opening conversations about loss and resilience.
Q: What is the message of Project 0309?
A: Project 0309 highlights the human stories behind suicide statistics in Northern Ireland. It documents the lived experience of searching, waiting, and remembering, while encouraging open dialogue about mental health and the need for compassion and support.
Q: Where can I find mental health support in Northern Ireland?
A: You can contact Samaritans at 116 123, Lifeline NI at 0808 808 8000, or Aware NI at www.aware-ni.org. These organisations provide confidential support for mental health and suicide prevention.
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