Galilee
House of Studies
"Someday, somewhere, somehow, I will have a place that our residents can call home."
Sr.Consilio Fitzgerald 1965
Cuan Mhuire is one of Ireland's leading charities or organisations which provides Addiction Treatment Services and Residential Rehabilitation. The Cuan Mhuire Programme strives to restore confidence, self-respect and a sense of responsibility for all participants.
Every year some 2500 people are admitted to one of the five Cuan Mhuire Treatment Centres since it's formation in 1966 by Sr. Consilio. Since its opening Cuan Mhuire has treated approximately 100,000 people throughout Ireland.
Cuan Mhuire provides an experience of home, family and belonging. It is wholly inclusive, embracing especially those who feel marginalised and distressed. Always attentive to providing the highest standards of excellence and seeking to help support them on their journey from addiction to hope.
The Cuan Mhuire Story - Sr. Consilio
The Cuan Mhuire story begins with Sr. Consilio's (then Eileen Fitzgerald) early experience of growing up on a farm near the Cork/Kerry border. Here, she experienced and internalised the unconditional love of her parents and the innate goodness that is at the heart of every individual.
Sr Consilio Fitzgerald
On completion of her second-level education at the Convent of Mercy, Abbeyfeale, she trained as a nurse at the North Infirmary, Cork. On completion of her training she joined the Sisters of Mercy, Athy, Co. Kildare. She later did her Midwifery training at St. Finbarr’s Hospital, Cork.
As a young nun she worked as a Nurse in St. Vincent’s Hospital, Athy which was then a ‘County Home’. Here she came in contact with the ‘men of the road’ who came for a nights lodgings. She was greatly moved by the struggles of these men who went from county home to county home. She came to realise that many were homeless because of their addiction to alcohol.
In 1965 Sr.Consilio convinced the nuns in Athy to convert the dairy of the convent into a 'drop in' centre where she could greet her visitors and listen to their troubles. This became the focal point of her work with the homeless and addicts.
In the early days the dairy became known as the 'dug out', however Sr.Consilio felt it deserved a proper name. Her friend, Dr.Des O'Neill who was a constant help in the development of Cuan Mhuire suggested the name 'An Cuan' meaning "The Harbour". Sr. Consilio felt that that it would need to include Our Lady's name and said "none of this would have been possible without her" hence the name 'Cuan Mhuire' - Harbour of Mary.
In November 1972, a farm and land came up for sale just outside Athy. Sr.Consilio, encouraged by the support of her Mother Superior, paid a visit to the local bank manager. He asked Sr.Consilio how she would pay for it and she told him that "Our Lady would provide". Sr. Consilio attended the auction in full nun regalia and she came away with a 42 acre field and no way to pay for it. The bank manager later discovered that Sr.Consilio had paid off the purchase price in full and he did not have to worry about honouring the big check. When he asked Sr.Consilio how she managed to pay for the land, she simply replied: "Our Lady helped me".
Many of the people who came to Cuan Mhuire seeking help in the early days were business people and members of trades or professions. The Centre in Athy has developed and expanded considerably since then.
Today , Cuan Mhuire, Athy, Bruree, Coolarne and Farnanes encompass medically supervised detoxification units and all five Treatment Centres offer Residential Treatment Programmes. The Cuan Mhuire Centres are very much part of the local community. The regular 'family days' highlighting the importance of 'family' within Cuan Mhuire.
Cuan Mhuire provides a warm and welcoming environment, reinforced by Internationally Accredited and ISO Certified Facilities for all those seeking specialised support in recovery and in on-going 'Aftercare'.
The Cuan Mhuire Mission
Cuan Mhuire is a way of life. It is focused on serving Christ in the person suffering from addiction and its effects. Wholly inclusive and embracing especially those who feel marginalised and unloved. The Cuan Mhuire community seeks to help all to discover their giftedness and their infinate values.
Cuan Mhuire provides a lived experience of Home, Family and Belonging. We are always attentive to providing the highest standards of excellence for those for whom we provide care and support.
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Sr. Agnes Fitzgerald
For the past 43 years Sr. Agnes Fitzgerald has overseen Cuan Mhuire Bruree. It was purchased in 1977, at that time it was a Stud Farm and was famous for its racehorses Galteemore, Ard Patrick and Blairfind to mention but a few.
Sr. Agnes who hails from Brosna, County Kerry recalls that in the early 1980's when she started there was no necessity for a drugs unit, however now you have heroin, cocaine and any kind of street drugs. With the great generosity of the public and the benevolence of JP McManus they now have a seperate drug unit. In 2021 Mr McManus supported the build of the male drug unit.
A quote from Sr Agnes: "Drugs are a major problem - we have a very long waiting list for our drug programme. Most of the people seeking help with drugs would be in their late teens and 20s, male and female. You would get older too. In the beginning it was cannabis use and then more drugs came along over the years - there was quite a lot of addiction to Benzos (Benzodiazepines which are used to treat severe anxiety or if you are very distressed). Alcohol addiction, is as predominant as ever - we don’t see any lessening in the demand for places”.
"A recent survey in Ireland showed that three in every four Irish people know at least one person with a gambling addiction. Gambling has increased down the years in men and women but particularly men. Now they are gambling online whereas long ago they had to walk to the bookie office - now it’s on the phone".
Sr Agnes Fitzgerald
"The Cuan Mhuire programme is based on the philosophy of total abstinence and strives to restore the confidence, self-respect and sense of responsibility of all participants. I don’t think you can say for certain why some people go down the road of addiction. I think that there are some people who inherit something that predisposes them but I also think that it can be to do with the environment in which a person grows up in. The whole goal of Cuan Mhuire is to get the people to be the people they were created to be. You are hoping that when they do the programme that they begin to see their own goodness and their own self-worth and that they begin to become the people they were really created to be.”
If you, or someone you know needs support please visit the Cuan Mhuire Website for your nearest Treatment Centre.