Philip talks about Pip five years on  | News Archive

Five years after the death of his son, Philip McTaggart talks about his suicide prevention charity - PIPS project.

Three miles from the centre of Belfast is a district called Ardoyne and on its edge is a church called Holy Cross.

One day in April 2003, 17 year old Pip McTaggart arrived at Holy Cross, but instead of going inside, he made his way through the churchyard to a tree where he had played as a boy. After a series of calls from his mobile to his family and friends, he took his own life.

Pip's body was discovered by one of the priests at Holy Cross. For Father Aidan Troy, this was the start of a terrible series of events. Pip's funeral was the first Father Troy had to hold following a suicide but it wasn't to be the last. In a period of two years more than a dozen young people committed suicide in North Belfast.

After Pip's death, Philip found that he had no-one to turn to so he decided to form a suicide prevention charity. After advertising in the newspaper he met health and social wellbeing development officer Jo Murphy, and together they set up PIPS Project - Public Initiative for the Prevention of Suicide.

In an incredibly emotive film Philip McTaggart talks about how his life has changed since the death of his son and what made him set up PIPS project. Find out more this week on Sunday Life.