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Balloonagh Convent.
BAILE Mhuire Day Care Centre for Older Persons has purchased the freehold on its existing site along with the neighbouring Balloonagh Convent and McAuley Home in Tralee.
The site, and extensive surrounding gardens, were owned by St Brendan’s Trust under the management of the Bishop of Kerry, and has presented an ideal opportunity for Baile Mhuire to expand the range of services to older people.
The purchase of the listed building has been partly-financed through Clann Credo Community Loan Finance, who provide loans to community organisations, charities and social enterprises.
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The Chairman of Baile Mhuire, Paddy Garvey, said: “This is a great step forward for the provision of care for the elderly and the expansion of services for older persons in Kerry over the next number of years. Securing our existing facility has always been our long-term aim.
“This, along with the extensive site that Balloonagh offers, is an ideal opportunity for Baile Mhuire to expand the range of services to older people. Baile Mhuire has made a lasting positive difference to the lives of many people over the years and we are committed to continuing this into the future. My colleagues on the Board, past and present, deserve credit for their forward thinking in relation to the growth and development of services at Baile Mhuire.”
Baile Mhuire came into being in the mid-1980s when there was a great need for an interim unit to provide recuperation and respite care for older people in the Tralee and surrounding areas.
Fr. Maurice Brick and the late Sr. Pius Collins, saw a need for this service at the time and together with the help of Social Action, set about the huge task of providing such a service.
Baile Mhuire services have evolved over the years and is now operating a Day Centre which provides personal, nursing, paramedical, social and pastoral care which support older people to remain independent in their home or within their community environment, for as long as possible.
In 2018, Baile Mhuire, with the support of the HSE, introduced a Stroke Day Service providing nursing and physiotherapy supports to people recovering from a stroke.
The team at Baile Mhuire have adapted their offerings in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic by maintaining telephone communication with clients and the delivery of lunches along with an exercise booklet.
A newly-opened Memory Technology Resource Room (MTRR), adjacent to the existing day service, has been developed to primarily assist people with Dementia, their families and carers.
Operations Manager at Baile Mhuire, Aidan Kelly, said: “Volunteers were instrumental in the establishment of Baile Mhuire back in 1988 and they continue to play a pivotal role in the daily running of the centre. We are fortunate that we have such wonderful volunteers who give of their time so freely and generously.”
The HSE’s Chief Officer of Cork Kerry Community Healthcare, Michael Fitzgerald, congratulated Baile Mhuire on the purchase of the former Balloonagh Convent in Tralee and is looking forward to supporting the Board, staff, and volunteers, as they continue to deliver and expand their existing excellent services to the people and community they serve.
