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St Mary of the Angels face funding cuts

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By Sean Moriarty

 

A second Kerry-based disability care provider - St Mary of the Angels in Beaufort - will be forced to cut services after the HSE announced a county-wide cut of €160,000.

Last week the Killarney Advertiser revealed that Kerry Parents and Friends, which cares for 270 special needs patients, and is headquartered in Killarney, was left with a €60,000 shortfall in funding.

The Beaufort facility is home to 76 people with physical and intellectual disabilities.

Many residents have been living there for most of their lives.

It was founded by the Franciscan Sisters in 1968 on land donated to them by local couple Denis and Mary Doyle.

It is currently operated by St John of God Kerry Services which provides training, employment, social and residential programmes for over 300 children and adults.

As well as St Mary of the Angels in Beaufort, St John of God also operate in Cahersiveen, Castleisland, Dingle, Kenmare, Killarney, Killorglin, Listowel and Tralee.

“In 2009, our annual HSE Allocation was €17.2m,” Claire O’Dwyer, General Manager St John of God Kerry Services, told the Killarney Advertiser.

“In 2019 the allocation was €16.9m. Yet over this 10 year period, the level of service provided in Kerry grew significantly with a new day centre opening in Tralee and expansions in Listowel, Killarney and Killorglin.

“Over the last two years we have suffered further significant cuts totalling €272,000 and a further cut of €160,000 has been imposed for 2020. These cuts have been a significant contributor to our financial deficit which has come in at €1.25m for each of the last two years.

“Yet at the same time, we are obligated by the standards regulator HIQA to meet the appropriate number, qualifications and mix of staff required for the number of residents, their needs and the size of the our centre at Beaufort. For these reasons, we are deeply concerned over this latest cut which will result in a reduction of existing service provision.”

St John of God Kerry is backing the National Federation of Voluntary Bodies campaign to reverse the €20m cut that has been imposed on the disability sector nationally ahead of next Saturday’s General Election.

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New Streetscapes murals launched at College Square

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A colourful collaboration between the Kerry Local Creative Youth Partnership (LCYP) and the Architecture Kerry Festival at Kerry County Council launched yesterday evening at College Square.

Titled Streetscapes, the open-air public art installation officially opened at 5pm on Thursday, accompanied by a performance from the Killarney Youth Drumming Band THUMP! under the guidance of Urs Wenk from Drum Dance Ireland.


The public art project features a series of wall murals depicting Killarney through the eyes of local children, exploring freedom, play, and potential future evolutions of the townscape.

The artworks reimagine Killarney’s iconic landmarks and streets, blending youthful imagination and curiosity.


Supported under the Creative Ireland Programme, the installation is mounted on the gable wall of Reen’s Life Pharmacy in College Square, where it will remain on public display until March 2027.


Speaking at the launch, Daniel O’Shea, Youth Development Officer at Kerry ETB, stated: “Streetscapes is a wonderful celebration of how children see things. Their creativity brings new perspectives to the townscape, and we are proud to support their ideas and their art through this public artwork.”


Deirdre Enright, Co-Ordinator of the Local Creative Youth Partnership at Kerry ETB, acknowledged the community support behind the initiative: “We are very grateful to Reen’s Life Pharmacy who have shared their built space with us. Huge credit is due to the artistic team from Me+The Moon whose dedication to creativity and to children’s art shine through in this work.”


The project forms part of the annual Architecture Kerry Festival and receives funding through Creative Ireland and the Department of Education and Youth via Kerry ETB and Kerry County Council.


Victoria McCarthy, Festival Organiser and Architectural Conservation Officer at Kerry County Council, welcomed the continued inter-agency project: “It’s always a great event for Architecture Kerry and we are so pleased with this collaboration between public sector organisations. It remains a key feature of the Architecture Kerry programme.”
See next week’s Killarney Advertiser for full photographic coverage of the event.

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Dr Crokes stalwarts enjoy lake cruise

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Dr Crokes stalwarts enjoy lake cruise

Dr Crokes stalwarts enjoy lake cruise

Dr Crokes GAA Club hosted a special day out for its senior members on Monday, this week, taking a group aged between 70 and 90 on a cruise across the Lakes of Killarney.

Organised by the Dr Crokes Healthy Club committee under its Crokes Cruisers initiative, the event was held to recognise the lifetime contribution made by long-standing members who continue to support club activities behind the scenes.
The group travelled on two vessels, including An Cathal, an open boat operated by local brothers Tony and Mike Fleming. Built to preserve the traditional Killarney lake boat style, it is the only purpose-built, fully accessible boat on the lakes, allowing members with mobility issues and wheelchair users to safely join the two-hour trip.
Following the lake tour, the party gathered on shore for coffee and refreshments provided by Derric McMahon and Harry Clifton of the Ross Castle Garden Cafe.
The initiative forms part of the club’s ongoing community work as a Gold Award winner in the GAA Healthy Club programme.

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