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Tony Heffernan, father of the late Saoirse and Liam Heffernan, at the Enterprise Ireland and New Frontiers Networking Event in aid of Liam’s Lodge in the Fels Point Hotel. Photo by Gavin O’Connor.
PLANS for Liam’s Lodge have been submitted to Kerry County Council and a planning decision is expected by the end of August according to Tony Heffernan.
Mr Heffernan was speaking to TraleeToday.ie at an event for entrepreneurs which was held in Fels Point on Wednesday evening, with all proceeds directly going to the Liam’s Lodge project.
“Networking with a Conscience” saw Kerry’s newest entrepreneurs on the Enterprise Ireland New Frontiers programme host the high powered information and networking session.
Guest speakers included Eamon Fitzpatrick, former Sales Director of the Irish Times newspaper and Today FM and now Managing Director of ipg media brands Ireland, Samantha Kelly owner of ‘Tweetinggoddess’, and creator of Irishbizparty and “Marathon Man” Gerry Duffy.
Entrance fee on the night was €10 with all proceeds directly going to Liam’s Lodge – Ireland’s National Children’s Respite and Hospice Centre.
The Saoirse Foundation and Liam’s Lodge are charities named after a brother and a sister who died from the rare Battens Disease. Their parents Tony and Mary Heffernan spearhead the charities.
The ambition is for Liam’s Lodge to be Ireland’s first national respite centre and hospice for children which will be built in Blennerville.
Liam’s Lodge will be on a 10 acre greenfield site and is set to cost in excess of €10m to complete. The site in Blennerville will cater for 29 family respite lodges, a daycare centre for children and it will also be the children’s hospice for Munster and the midwest.
“The final designs have been completed for Liam’s Lodge, planning was submitted to Kerry County last month, so hopefully we’ll have a planning decision by the end of August,” said Tony Heffernan at the event.
“Once we have that, we’ll go on our major fundraising drive to build it and all going well, we’ll open it in June 2017 with the creation of 62 new jobs in Tralee,” said Tony.
“Organisation has been very challenging because it’s such a huge budget, but saying that we’ve taken on numerous challenges before so we’re up for it,” said Tony.
“The theme for tonight is networking with a conscience. We’re going to focus on small businesses and entrepreneurs, how they get through different schemes and how they start their businesses without losing focus on reality,” said Tony.
See photos below…
At the Enterprise Ireland and New Frontiers Networking evening in aid of Liam’s Lodge in the Fels Point Hotel on Wednesday were, from left: Rick Nassar, Barry Liston, Robert O’Donoghue, Shane Hassett. Photo by Gavin O’Connor.
At the Enterprise Ireland and New Frontiers Networking evening in aid of Liam’s Lodge in the Fels Point Hotel on Wednesday were, from left: Pat O’Sullivan, Mary Lynch, Chris Chris McGillicuddy. Photo by Gavin O’Connor.
At the Enterprise Ireland and New Frontiers Networking evening in aid of Liam’s Lodge in the Fels Point Hotel on Wednesday were, from left: Maureen Connor, Tom Farrelly and Mary Farrelly. Photo by Gavin O’Connor
At the Enterprise Ireland and New Frontiers Networking evening in aid of Liam’s Lodge in the Fels Point Hotel on Wednesday were, from left: Niall Hobbert, Eamonn Fitzpatrick and Alan Kelly. Photo by Gavin O’Connor
At the Enterprise Ireland and New Frontiers Networking evening in aid of Liam’s Lodge in the Fels Point Hotel on Wednesday were, from left: Eugene Ferris, Sandra Hunter Ferris and Sam Harrison of Cloudberry bakery. Photo by Gavin O’Connor
At the Enterprise Ireland and New Frontiers Networking evening in aid of Liam’s Lodge in the Fels Point Hotel on Wednesday were, from left: Derek Counihan and Gerry Moloney. Photo by Gavin O’Connor
At the Enterprise Ireland and New Frontiers Networking evening in aid of Liam’s Lodge in the Fels Point Hotel on Wednesday were, from left: Sean Greaney, Jamie Counihan and Adrian O’Loughlin of Salvogram. Photo by Gavin O’Connor.
