In this paper the authors examined the different rates of suicide in the eight health board areas in Ireland between 1976 and 1995. A rise in male suicide rates was found across all areas, although it was found to be less pronounced in the Eastern Health Board area. This finding surprised the authors, given the much-publicised problems of homelessness and hard-drug misuse in Dublin. Female suicide rates were found to have increased somewhat in the southern half of the country since the mid-1980s. The authors suggested that this may have been linked to difficulties related to accessing services for psychological distress in rural areas. The perceived difficulties included both those relating to stigma, and more practical problems of transportation to the service. The authors proposed that the development of appropriate services, particularly in rural areas, should be a priority for future action.