Rusty’s personality was so big he was the noise of the house
By Hayden Moore
THE FAMILY of Christopher Cullen Hoban, who was better known as Rusty, have appealed for greater mental health supports during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Throughout the pandemic, Rusty’s mental health began to massively deteriorate with his counselling limited to online classes - a means he was not au fait with.
Christopher ‘Rusty’ Cullen Hoban always loved to help people
“He was really suffering with his mental health,” his sister Lauren Hoban tells The Echo.
“Last year he lost his partner in an accident, she was pregnant at the time and it really did take it’s toll on him.
“He’s just been spiraling since then but he had asked for help, he went to his doctor and he was seeing a counsellor.
“The meds didn’t really help him, he had been telling his doctor that, and because of Covid, the counselling moved online and he wasn’t great with technology.
“He wasn’t able to work the Zoom so he couldn’t go.
“We have to try do something because surely that is an essential service, so I’ve contacted our local Senator Lynn Ruane about getting that changed.”
Rusty loved his work as a labourer in a construction company
Under government guidelines, once social distancing protocols are followed, counselling services are an essential service that go ahead but where it faulters is if they do not have the facilities to accommodate Covid-19 measures.
This has led to many counselling services across Ireland moving to remote sessions.
Rusty died by suicide on March 8 at the age of 31, with a private family funeral held in Sacred Heart Church on March 15 and he was cremated in Newlands Cross Cemetery later that day.
Growing up in Killinarden with five brothers and four sisters, Lauren jokes that their house was “chaos”.
“It was like a mad house. Growing up it was just brilliant, it was chaos and I really couldn’t imagine growing up any other way, I loved it,” she said.
“Rusty’s personality was so big, he was the noise of the house, like the class clown of the house. You could always hear him and that’s what makes it so hard now, the house is so quiet without him.
“He was a real republican as well, he’s the sort that would have died for his country. We had to go into his room to get a few things to bring up as gifts at the funeral and the room is full of his 1916 Rising flags, Luke Kelly pictures, Ireland flags. He was only young, but he was such an old soul.”
Although he was his father Thomas’s fourth child, Rusty was Collette’s first born.
“Him and my ma were like best friends, they were inseparable. She couldn’t go the shop for milk without him jumping into the car to go with her. He was her first born, they just had this great bond.”
Rusty kept himself busy, and was often found helping neighbours during his spare time.
“He worked with the local coal man since he was 14 and that stopped about seven-months-ago,” Lauren explains.
“He got a job then with a construction company as a labourer and he absolutely loved that. Rusty was always doing something and loved to help people, if he saw the neighbours moving bricks out their back garden or if they needed a bit of painting done, he’d give them a hand.”
The community have ralled behind the Cullen Hoban family, with neighbours organising fundraisers to cover the funeral costs.
The nearby Roma Takeaway in Killinarden have vouched to donate 10 percent of all proceeds raised on Friday, April 2 to the family.
Keith Barrett, who used to live in Killinarden but now lives in Clondalkin, is also organising an open air boxing class in Killinarden Park with the money raised going to the family.
Swing a Hook for Rusty is set to take place on Saturday, April 3 and will cost €10 on the day.
Also, neighbour Amy McGovern organised a fundraiser through GoFundMe which can be found HERE.
Rusty is survived by his beloved mother Collette and father Thomas, his brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, aunts, uncles, cousins, and in-laws, extend family, neighbours and a large circle of friends.
If you have been affected by any of the details in this article, please contact Samaritans on 116 123, Aware on 1800 804 848, Pieta House on 1800 247 247, Jigsaw on 1800 544 729 or text Talk to 50808
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