Go Purple Day 2026

By Anna Powell

‘Domestic abuse can be an invisible thing for women, it can be something that goes on behind closed doors, and nobody ever knows about it. Women can often suffer in silence,” explained Orla Hahessy, Outreach support worker with Ascend in North Tipperary.

Ascend is a service for women in North Tipperary that provides support and information to women who have, or are, experiencing domestic abuse. Recently, workers with Ascend and Barnados, a support service for children who have experienced domestic violence, marked ‘Go Purple’ Day with members of an Garda Síochana in North Tipperary.

‘Go Purple day 2026’

“Go Purple is a Garda initiative. It is an Garda Síochana’s national awareness day for Domestic abuse. The purpose of it is to highlight domestic abuse in local areas but also the support services that are available for women,” explained Orla about the national ‘Go Purple Day’ in which members of the public are invited to wear the colour purple to show their support for those who may be victims of abuse.

“To bring it out onto the streets, and to raise awareness of it, to show women that there is support there, that everybody is behind them, that’s really important,” commented Orla.

“It shouldn’t be this silent suffering for women. It should be something that is spoken about all the time so that everyone in the community is watching out and that they are aware of the signs, and that we are all working together to combat this,” highlighted Orla.

Support in North Tipperary

Ascend is active supporting women experiencing domestic abuse in North Tipperary.

“We cover all of North Tipperary, with main offices in Nenagh, Roscrea and Thurles with clinic in Newport, Ballina, Borrisokane, Templemore, all of the bigger towns,” explained Orla.

“We can meet a woman wherever it is safe to meet her,” she continued, explaining how woman can then self-refer themselves for services with Ascend or that woman can be referred to their services by gardaí or through family support services.

“Sometimes its word of mouth, so a friend will tell them that they have worked with Ascend and they will encourage the women to come with us,” she continued.

Women are able to contact Ascend by text, WhatsApp, email or by phone call. Ascend can be contacted on 087 9501299 or on ascend@ntdc.ie

Services of Ascend

Ascend provide a range of services for woman and children in need of support.

“A woman could ring us up and need refuge, and then that’s the most important thing then, that we get her somewhere safe and her kids, if she has kids,” outlined Orla.

The team at Ascend has found that the needs of a woman can differ on a case-by-case basis, and their services are tailored to the needs of each woman and the steps she wishes to take.

“Sometimes women don’t want to do anything. There is a relationship still and they are just looking for support to just actually be able to cope in that relationship.

Naming it as abuse

“Part of the work is educating people on what they are going through and naming it as abuse,” explained Orla.

“So many women will sit in front of me and say I’m not sure if I’m in the right place because he has never hit me. But then when you hear her story, the emotional abuse is off the charts,” she continued.

“Often when we think of signs of abuse, we automatically think of bruises, but that’s rare enough. It's usually things like isolation, declining offers of going places. Financial abuse is huge at the moment,” she added.

“We have women who are working full time and have zero access to their money,” explained Orla, pointing out how this can lead to women isolating themselves rather than having to ask their partner for money.

“Domestic abuse can happen to anybody, it doesn’t matter where you are from, who you are, or what your background is. It really doesn’t discriminate, it can happen to any woman,” stressed Orla.

“In 2025, a total number of 238 woman came through our doors in North Tipp. Out of that 238, 111 of those women were new to the service,” she said.

“It is good for everyone to know that Ascend is there. You never know when you might be talking to somebody, or somebody might tell you their story,” she stated, pointing out why is it important for people to know about Ascend.

It is also important that women who may be need in the support of Ascend, take that step to contact their team.

“The hardest part of the whole process is actually just reaching out and contacting us. Once you make contact, we take it from there,” expressed Orla.

“We have such an amazing team.” and every single woman that comes through our doors, first of all is believed - it’s a wrap-around provision of care for that woman,” she said.