When you walk in the door of An Solas, the newest of the four residential houses that L’Arche Callan operates, the walls are covered in pictures and it feels like a home. Chatting to the staff, the word “community” is mentioned time and again. L’Arche is a group of 149 communities globally where people with or without intellectual disabilities share life together in a community. And that is what L’Arche is – a community.
CEO of L’Arche Ireland
“In L’Arche, we place an emphasis on community living for people living with an intellectual disability. The big institutions, where people with intellectual disabilities would have been sent in the past, were pretty harsh places. People were taken out of normal society. This was hard on them but also their families who were often advised ‘to forget about them and have another child’.”
“Alva Fitzgerald was the first community leader. She spent one year in the village of Trosly-Breuil, north of Paris, where Jean Vanier had set up his first house in 1964. She was supported by Bishop Birch to set up L’Arche Moorfields (Kilmoganny) which opened in May 1978 with two core members Helen O’Shea and Paddy Delaney (RIP).”
L'Arche Ireland CEO Mairead Boland Brabazon
During her 30 years in L’Arche, Mairead has seen many changes. In Kilkenny alone, L’Arche has expanded its residential centres from that first one in Kilmoganny to Callan and Kilbride with four workshops, two garden projects and a cafe.
“Over the last few years, four of our long-term core members achieved independent living status. We are very proud to see them take this step and be in a position to provide them with this independence. For these women, some of whom previously lived in institutions, having their own home may never have seemed a possibility. This move to them was akin to climbing Mount Everest.”
The cafe
“There are lots of great organisations but in L’Arche, it is a partnership with the core members. Cafe L’Arche is our special project. The communities in Leon and Canada now also have a cafe but Callan was the first by seven or eight years. The cafe ensures our core members get to interact with the local community.
“This provides us with the opportunity to foster public awareness. There is a social capital element to this – to be part of ordinary society – adding value to Callan. People need to be contributors, giving as well as receiving. It’s vital for their self-esteem.”
Community leader (director) of the Callan L’Arche Community
“Faith is an integral part of daily community life. Although the faith tradition of the community has always been within the Irish Catholic context, all faiths or none are welcomed and respected. There are now L’Arche communities globally and they will generally align to the faith of that country. Also, our volunteer assistants will come from a range of faiths and this diversity is really welcome”.
As with many organisations, Chris explains that “funding is an issue as the HSE now only fund emergency residential places”.
L'Arche Ireland weekly planner.
“Callan has a residential house that can house 15 people but we have been waiting for funding to fill the one remaining space for over a year.
“We are a Section 39 agency which means that we are Government-funded, but to keep going we are also very reliant on grants and fundraising. Of critical importance however, to enable L’Arche to continue its work are the volunteer assistants who come from all over the world. There are eight nationalities in Kilkenny alone.”
Noelie Delevze (left) a psychology student from France and Ruth Pankratz (right) from Germany who is taking some time out to work in L’Arche after finishing school.
Noelie Delevze a psychology student from France and Ruth Pankratz from Germany, who is taking some time out to work in L’Arche after finishing school, are two assistants currently working and living in L’Arche Kilkenny. Live-in assistants receive bed and board and a personal allowance. They are also offered training sessions to improve their skills in areas such as emergency first aid and manual handling.
“Many come back to visit and say that they left L’Arche with a greater understanding of humanity and a greater empathy. Working with the core members you get a sheer honesty from them that you don’t get elsewhere,” Mairead says.
Second core member to join L’Arche
Helen O’Shea was the second core member to join L’Arche in 1978. Helen has lived in all of the different houses in the L’Arche community but she now has her own chalet. Helen tells Irish Country Living that she works in L’Arche two days per week and that she enjoys her work but also the quiet hour on a Wednesday – time spent praying and listening to music. Helen’s upcoming plans include a trip to Spain this summer.
L'Arche Ireland core member Helen O Shea
“Helen and the other core members pay €120 of their disability allowance per week towards the community and the HSE fund the larger part but this has been flat for a number of years and yet costs are going up every year. There is maintenance on the houses and the vehicles. For example, this year, it cost €20,000 to bring the fire standards up to the latest new specifications in our most modern house.”
Chris acknowledges that most similar organisations are in the same position but as there have been no staff pay rises in 10 years, it is difficult to retain and recruit staff.
“Last year we really struggled and had to dig into reserves to pay for staff. This is not sustainable. It is vital that assistants continue to come to support the communities.
“I went to the careers day in Limerick this year and was pleasantly surprised that although Google and Facebook were there, there was a lot of interest from the students in doing something that bit different for six months. Let’s hope some follow through and join us.”
All details for L’Arche can be found on
their website.
When you walk in the door of An Solas, the newest of the four residential houses that L’Arche Callan operates, the walls are covered in pictures and it feels like a home. Chatting to the staff, the word “community” is mentioned time and again. L’Arche is a group of 149 communities globally where people with or without intellectual disabilities share life together in a community. And that is what L’Arche is – a community.
CEO of L’Arche Ireland
“In L’Arche, we place an emphasis on community living for people living with an intellectual disability. The big institutions, where people with intellectual disabilities would have been sent in the past, were pretty harsh places. People were taken out of normal society. This was hard on them but also their families who were often advised ‘to forget about them and have another child’.”
“Alva Fitzgerald was the first community leader. She spent one year in the village of Trosly-Breuil, north of Paris, where Jean Vanier had set up his first house in 1964. She was supported by Bishop Birch to set up L’Arche Moorfields (Kilmoganny) which opened in May 1978 with two core members Helen O’Shea and Paddy Delaney (RIP).”
L'Arche Ireland CEO Mairead Boland Brabazon
During her 30 years in L’Arche, Mairead has seen many changes. In Kilkenny alone, L’Arche has expanded its residential centres from that first one in Kilmoganny to Callan and Kilbride with four workshops, two garden projects and a cafe.
“Over the last few years, four of our long-term core members achieved independent living status. We are very proud to see them take this step and be in a position to provide them with this independence. For these women, some of whom previously lived in institutions, having their own home may never have seemed a possibility. This move to them was akin to climbing Mount Everest.”
The cafe
“There are lots of great organisations but in L’Arche, it is a partnership with the core members. Cafe L’Arche is our special project. The communities in Leon and Canada now also have a cafe but Callan was the first by seven or eight years. The cafe ensures our core members get to interact with the local community.
“This provides us with the opportunity to foster public awareness. There is a social capital element to this – to be part of ordinary society – adding value to Callan. People need to be contributors, giving as well as receiving. It’s vital for their self-esteem.”
Community leader (director) of the Callan L’Arche Community
“Faith is an integral part of daily community life. Although the faith tradition of the community has always been within the Irish Catholic context, all faiths or none are welcomed and respected. There are now L’Arche communities globally and they will generally align to the faith of that country. Also, our volunteer assistants will come from a range of faiths and this diversity is really welcome”.
As with many organisations, Chris explains that “funding is an issue as the HSE now only fund emergency residential places”.
L'Arche Ireland weekly planner.
“Callan has a residential house that can house 15 people but we have been waiting for funding to fill the one remaining space for over a year.
“We are a Section 39 agency which means that we are Government-funded, but to keep going we are also very reliant on grants and fundraising. Of critical importance however, to enable L’Arche to continue its work are the volunteer assistants who come from all over the world. There are eight nationalities in Kilkenny alone.”
Noelie Delevze (left) a psychology student from France and Ruth Pankratz (right) from Germany who is taking some time out to work in L’Arche after finishing school.
Noelie Delevze a psychology student from France and Ruth Pankratz from Germany, who is taking some time out to work in L’Arche after finishing school, are two assistants currently working and living in L’Arche Kilkenny. Live-in assistants receive bed and board and a personal allowance. They are also offered training sessions to improve their skills in areas such as emergency first aid and manual handling.
“Many come back to visit and say that they left L’Arche with a greater understanding of humanity and a greater empathy. Working with the core members you get a sheer honesty from them that you don’t get elsewhere,” Mairead says.
Second core member to join L’Arche
Helen O’Shea was the second core member to join L’Arche in 1978. Helen has lived in all of the different houses in the L’Arche community but she now has her own chalet. Helen tells Irish Country Living that she works in L’Arche two days per week and that she enjoys her work but also the quiet hour on a Wednesday – time spent praying and listening to music. Helen’s upcoming plans include a trip to Spain this summer.
L'Arche Ireland core member Helen O Shea
“Helen and the other core members pay €120 of their disability allowance per week towards the community and the HSE fund the larger part but this has been flat for a number of years and yet costs are going up every year. There is maintenance on the houses and the vehicles. For example, this year, it cost €20,000 to bring the fire standards up to the latest new specifications in our most modern house.”
Chris acknowledges that most similar organisations are in the same position but as there have been no staff pay rises in 10 years, it is difficult to retain and recruit staff.
“Last year we really struggled and had to dig into reserves to pay for staff. This is not sustainable. It is vital that assistants continue to come to support the communities.
“I went to the careers day in Limerick this year and was pleasantly surprised that although Google and Facebook were there, there was a lot of interest from the students in doing something that bit different for six months. Let’s hope some follow through and join us.”
All details for L’Arche can be found on
their website.
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