Rising absenteeism and worsening youth mental health have pushed more teenagers towards schools such as the Linn Dara Schools in Ballyfermot, where education and clinical care now run side-by-side. Against this backdrop, every day of attendance for the students at Linn Dara becomes both a clinical milestone and an educational one. Prof Brendan Doody, a psychiatrist, is clinical director of the Linn Dara CAMHS service. Matthew Swain is principal of the 14-strong Linn Dara schools’ faculty, made up of school leaders, teachers, special needs assistants and a school secretary. I saw that with the young people (at Linn Dara Schools) and the art they made.

Source: The Irish Times March 28, 2026 16:00 UTC