Four years on since placing his last bet, Offaly footballer Niall McNamee has reinvented his life.
In 2011, McNamee's gambling habits rendered him almost penniless. Crumbling under the weight of his debts and barely able to afford essential groceries, the Offaly man persistently placed bets in an effort to bring about some financial equilibrium and escape the torment. But as each passing initiative delivered more failure, the debt toll continued to rise.
He sold his car at one point for half the cost and lost it all after another week of gambling. Prior to that he sampled online betting. Over the course of three days, he won an accumulative €8,000 which he went on to squander in the bookies in just one day.
A little over 2 years since I wrote this https://t.co/J4TAPU0bxv
— Niall McNamee (@niallmc14) December 11, 2015
These, and several other incredible observations, feature in Niall McNamee's first ever blogpost about his struggles with gambling which he wrote just over two years ago. McNamee went on to compose a series of other revealing posts on his blog, and continues to participate in public awareness campaigns that address the dangers of gambling.
He took to social media last night to celebrate the anniversary which demonstrates just how far his journey has taken him to ultimately overcoming the addiction.
A little over 2 years since I wrote this http://niallmcnamee.com/2-years-1-day-at-a-time/
Posted by Niall McNamee on Friday, 11 December 2015
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