The annual 'Light up the Night' truck and tractor run in north Co. Kilkenny, which aims to raise awareness of suicide and mental health, will get underway on New Year's Eve at 4:30pm.

The event is in aid of the organisations that offer help to those experiencing mental health difficulties.

Organising the run is a small group of people who, at some point, have been touched by the suicide of friends or relatives and are determined to bring relief to those similarly affected and aid to those suffering depression.

Freddie Farrell of the organising committee said: "Since its inception in 2016, on every New Year's Eve, the highways and byways of north Kilkenny are illuminated with fully lit convoys of trucks and tractors highlighting suicide awareness and promoting the help available.

"Over €80,000 has been raised for charities to date.

Farrell said that to date, the initiative has supported groups such as Grow Mental Health South-east; Kilkenny Involvement Centre; Pieta House; Kilkenny Bereavement Support Centre; Anam Chara; and Teac Tom.

"In the past we have seen numbers participating of 180 trucks and 330 tractors," Farrell said.

As in previous years, Farrell explained that a convoy of trucks will depart Cillin Hill Kilkenny and a convoy of tractors will leave Hollands' Yard, Ballyragget, "lighting up the night as they line out".

"In recent years, we have had all sorts of vehicles taking part: trucks; tractors; loading shovels; silage harvesters and rubber duck excavators," he said.

"As the name suggests, we aim to light up the night. Our departure time is just at dusk and we will head to the hills of north Kilkenny with our fully lit convoys of tractors and machines.

"At the same time, the convoy of trucks will leave Kilkenny on a longer more road friendly route through north Kilkenny and parts of Laois, finishing up in Ballyragget," Farrell said.