Rape Crisis Midwest open new counselling centre in Tipperary
Misneach House was opened in Nenagh last week
Rape Crisis Midwest (RCM) has opened a new counselling centre in Nenagh, providing a dedicated base for its North Tipperary services.
The centre, located on Sarsfield Street in the town centre, was officially opened on 8 July and has been named Misneach House after the the Irish word for courage, chosen as a tribute to the survivors accessing RCM’s services.
The opening was attended by members of the public, representatives from Tipperary County Council, members of the Dáil, and colleagues from across the Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence sector.
During the opening ceremony, RCM Executive Director Siobhán O’Leary thanked the JP McManus Pro-Am Fund for its generous contribution towards the purchase of the building.
The event also highlighted ongoing concerns around access to specialist sexual violence services across the Midwest region. Currently, there is no dedicated Sexual Assault Treatment Unit (SATU) available locally for people who have recently experienced rape or sexual assault, meaning those requiring specialist care must travel to Cork or Dublin.
While a Forensic Medical Examination (FME) service is available in Limerick, it operates as an out-of-hours service and requires a report to An Garda Síochána in order to access it.