Local contribution to new Enable Ireland centre is well recognised

A ROOM at the new multi-million euro, state-of-the-art, Enable Ireland children’s services centre is to be named in honour of the Castletown Kinneigh fundraising group.

The €10m centre, which has been created in Curraheen on the site of the one-time ESB social club, will be officially opened later this year and will provide services for over 800 children across the county.

The West Cork group have raised over €500,000 for Enable Ireland since they started fundraising just over 40 years ago, with contributions from the communities of Kilmurry, Bandon, Dunmanway and beyond.

‘There is nothing like this facility anywhere else on the island,’ Donal Cashman, chair of Enable Ireland said after the group from West Cork were shown around.

‘All this would not have been possible without the incredible support, over many years, from the fundraising volunteers of Castletown Kinneigh and the many other groups who worked so hard to make this wonderful centre a reality.’

The centre has specially designed treatment rooms, a heated swimming pool, sensory room, an onsite doctor’s room, a playground and respite facilities.

It will also boast elements of Enable Ireland’s ‘Diversity’ garden, which was created by the Belfast-based designer, Linda McKeown. Linda combined plants with exciting materials to achieve simple, contemporary form in the garden, which was exhibited at Bloom earlier this year.

Chair of the Castletown Kinneigh fundraising group, Joe McCarthy, said that he was ‘blown away’ by the centre and the facilities that are now available for the children.

‘All the hard work over 40 years has all proved worthwhile … the new centre is spectacular,’ Joe said.

‘We want to thank everybody in West Cork and beyond who have and continue to support our fundraising rally every year.

‘We will continue to do our part to ensure that Enable Ireland and the new children’s centre is supported as much as we can going forward into the future.’

Donal added: ‘We will name one of the treatment rooms the Castletown Kinneigh room to show just what the support from Joe McCarthy and the people of West Cork means to us.’