200 concerned people hold peaceful protest walk in Rathcabbin

A CROWD of 200 concerned people gathered in the village of Rathcabbin on Sunday afternoon to hold a peaceful protest walk, expressing their worries and fears about the future use of St Kieran's Nursing Home.

St Kieran's is situated about two kilometres from the village at the Pike near the busy R489 (Birr/Portumna Road), and it closed its doors for the final time on November 18th, 2022, causing widespread local upset.

First opened by local family the Gormallys, the premises was sold seven years ago to Limerick businessman William O’Sullivan, who with high hopes for the future of St Kieran’s, invested a lot financially through refurbishment and transformation, with plans submitted earlier in 2022 for a major extension which would include 52 new beds. “However, after getting the planning permission,” Mr O'Sullivan told The Midland Tribune, “I realised there is an oversupply of nursing home beds in the midlands and we were never going to be able to fill our proposed 52 beds. It just wouldn't work. Therefore we had no choice but to close down.”

Orla Kennedy, Secretary of “Rathcabbin Concerned Residents”, told The Midland Tribune on Sunday during the protest walk that activity has been noticeable in St Kieran's in recent weeks.

“There have been some inspections. There were vans there last week, which were taking the equipment from St Kieran's and transferring it to another nursing home elsewhere in the county. All the equipment formerly associated with the nursing home has now been taken away. There's also been a process of cleaning up. There have been fire safety inspections and planning inspections.”

As we walked some were carrying signs, which stated: “Government vote not our vote”; “Give back our nursing home”; “no vetting, no accountability, no security in rural communities”; “Rathcabbin: no services, no IPAS.”

Willie Rigney, Chairman of Rathcabbin Concerned Residents, addressed the gathering at the beginning of the walk, which started at the village's Hall, and also at its end, at St Kieran's. He recalled the public meeting held about the issue in the Hall in March. “We had a very good turnout back then in the hall,” he stated, “and our message remains the same now as it was then: We want a nursing home, or something positive, not an IPAS centre. Following the March meeting a committee was formed which was tasked with doing what it could to highlight the situation and to try and protect our community. We have met weekly since. We have knocked on every door. We are very fortunate to have Orla Kennedy as our Secretary. Orla has a background in the political sphere. She worked as a parliamentary secretary in the Dáil for a TD for a number of years until three years ago. Therefore, she knows her way around the workings of the political system. However, even with that expertise we are not getting many answers from the governmental department or from politicians. It is very frustrating.”

Willie said he didn't want to get too political in his speech, because he didn't want to distract from the central message. “The message today is we are making a strong statement that we want our nursing home back. We don't want this uncertain, fearful future.”

He said he had a number of apologies from local councillors who couldn't make it today. He thanked Cllr Michael O'Meara for his presence. Cllr O'Meara was the only politician in attendance.

Willie told the Tribune that the community agreed with the proposal to build a 52 bed extension. “There was a dementia wing needed and the bedroom spaces weren't good enough. They were not up to HIQA standard. The new wing was going to offer a secure environment for people in their latter years. We would have accepted this but unfortunately that plan has been scrapped by the owner and this great government of ours, and it's going to be an IPAS centre. I am told it will be run by the same people who are running the IPAS centre in Elmgrove in Birr.

“20 years ago people, when Shannon Vermicomposting was here, they found out what we were made of and we are ready to do it again, if there's no proper consideration for our community.”

The Chairman added that he and his committee recently met Roderick O'Gorman's secretary in Borrisokane.

“During that meeting Minister O'Gorman's secretary highlighted the lack of resources, the lack of accommodation and the pressure on the government. She said it's about searching hard to find beds for people. She asked are we not willing to integrate people into our community? We asked who will be the IPAS people coming to St Kieran's? Are they documented? Are they vetted? Who is coming into our community? Will they be single men or families? Will they be a threat to us or our families? We have not received answers to these questions.”

Willie said the government's secrecy irritated people. “If there was more dialogue and more transparency then I think communities would be more open. Many in the Rathcabbin area bought homes here because they wanted a rural, peaceful life. Now they are worried about that being upended.

“Our councillors have told us that they are not being listened to by the Minister's department. Sometimes it feels as if we are not living in a democracy. It's not practical either. We don't have the resources here. St Kieran's is isolated, in a rural area, with no local recreational facilities. The nearest village, Rathcabbin, is two kilometres away and the only shop in it closed down several months ago. The closest town, Birr, is 10km away. They will have to provide a bus for them. St Kieran's is situated very near the Birr/Portumna road, the R489, which is a busy main road. As well as this, the road to Rathcabbin is narrow with dangerous bends.

“Keep the pressure on,” he urged everyone, “keep saying no. This is a good community and hopefully we will restore this home back to its proper use - for the people.”