President Connolly visits Clonmel community centre celebrating its 30th anniversary
The President met with community organisations as well as children and adults who attend services and groups at Clonmel Community Resource Centre during her visit
The 30th birthday of the opening of Clonmel Community Resource Centre was celebrated with a visit from the country's first citizen – President Catherine Connolly – who unveiled a plaque at the centre to commemorate the special occasion and anniversary.
After receiving the Freedom of Clonmel at a ceremony in Clonmel Town Hall on Friday, May 22, the President finished off her trip to the town by calling to the community centre based in the former CBS monastery house on Kickham Street.
She spent over an hour meeting with staff, volunteers, representatives of the wide range of community services and groups based there and children and adults who use its services.
Children attending the centre's childcare facility and members of the Irish United Nations Veterans Association formed guards of honour in the garden to welcome the president as she arrived.
Centre Manager Naomi Burke said President Connolly asked to come to the centre when her trip to Clonmel was on the cards. “We received a call to say she would like to come. We were honoured and delighted,” she told The Nationalist.
The President spent a lot of time during her visit meeting with children attending the centre's childcare facility that provides early years, school -age and after-school care to around 80 local children aged between 4 months to 12 years.
Naomi said the President spoke to every child she met and took time out to watch one young boy showcase his keepie uppie soccer skills of which she is a noted exponent.
The President also met with representatives of other services based at the centre and found out about their varied work. The services ranged from the HSE Sláintecare Social Prescribing Healthy Food Made Easy programme and Tusla-funded Family Support and Play Therapy services to the Local Area Employment Service, the Traveller Health Project, Jigsaw mental health service for young people and South Tipperary Development Group.
Kathleen O'Reilly, Ellen O'Reilly and Mary O'Reilly were members of the Traveller Health Project, who met and spoke with the President.
“She was lovely and really down to earth. It really was a pleasure to meet her,” said Kathleen.
Naomi agreed. “The President just engaged with every single person that she met and was so interested in what we did. She was absolutely lovely.”
The plaque unveiled by President Connolly marking her visit and the community centre’s 30th anniversary is located in the facility’s entrance hall.