Ballyhoura Rural Services Board Calls On Doon Men’s Shed To Engage In Talks

The Board of Ballyhoura Rural Services(BRS) is calling on Doon Men’s Shed to engage in talks to find new accommodation for the Men’s Shed in Doon – somewhere on the site but not in the School building. The Shed currently operates from the former School building in Doon and provides a range of services for 54 local men. The Men’s Shed say they want to remain in their existing space as they have developed it over a number of years.
Ballyhoura Rural Services is now ready to move forward with a project involving Coolmine Therapeutic Service that will see upwards of 30 units developed in the former school and boarding school to provide a Mother and Child Reconciliation Centre for women completing rehab therapy. The only other such facility is in Dublin at Coolmine who find that a large number of people from the Mid-West avail of addiction treatment services in Dublin.
John Walshe, Chair of BRS says the deal with Coolmine is at risk if they cannot give the organisation vacant possession of the entire 33,000 square foot complex. The HSE and Coolmine will provide 100% of the funding for the centre which BRS says will ultimately deliver upwards of 80 jobs in a social enterprise apart from the short term construction employment.
The former Convent building is to be converted into 24 one and two bedroom apartments for social housing allocated by Limerick County Council. BRS also operates a social farm on 30 acres of land donated by the Sisters of Mercy when they left Doon in 2016 after 151years of service.