In this editorial, the author discusses the controversy caused by the low official suicide rate in Ireland during the 1960s. The author argues that the suicide rate was genuinely low during this period, but also notes that the under recording of suicide in official statistics was a common occurrence. In the latter part of his editorial, Kelleher considers various explanations for the increase in the Irish suicide rate during the 1970s & early 1980s. (23 refs.)