Some 80 volunteers took to Dublin's Grafton Street this morning offering hugs and advice in an attempt to promote positive mental health and destigmatise the issue among young people.
Broadcaster Ray D'Arcy joined Google employees and representatives from the National Youth website spunout.ie in what was said to be Ireland's biggest ever "free hugs" event.
The event was designed to create awareness of spunout.ie, a web service which offers young people advice, support, information and opportunities to overcome the problems which face teenagers in the State today.
Mr D'Arcy said it was important to create awareness of mental health issues as Ireland's suicide rate is alarmingly high but little is know about the issue.
He said the website provides people who need somebody to talk to an opportunity to address their issues openly. "Whether it's a crisis pregnancy, anorexia or someone grappling with their sexuality their is somebody there who they can talk to," he said.
