Cuan Mhuire (;

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

for "

Mary Mary may refer to: People * Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name) Religious contexts * New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below * Mary, mother of Jesus, also calle ...

's Harbour") is a charitable drug, alcohol and gambling rehabilitation organisation in

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

. Cuan Mhuire offers a comprehensive, structured, abstinence based, residential programme to persons suffering from alcohol, other chemical dependencies and gambling. Cuan Mhuire was founded by Sr. Consilio Fitzgerald a member of the

Sisters of Mercy The Sisters of Mercy is a religious institute of Catholic women founded in 1831 in Dublin, Ireland, by Catherine McAuley. As of 2019, the institute had about 6200 sisters worldwide, organized into a number of independent congregations. They a ...

in 1966. Cuan Mhuire has its own programme, developed by Sr. Consilio and her staff over a period of 40 years. Cuan Mhuire has rehabilitation centres and other facilities all over Ireland both north and south dealing with approximately 2500 people each year.

History and development

Cuan Mhuire was founded by Sr. Consilio in 1966. Sr. Consilio had qualified as a nurse and a

midwife A midwife is a health professional who cares for mothers and newborns around childbirth, a specialization known as midwifery. The education and training for a midwife concentrates extensively on the care of women throughout their lifespan; co ...

and had been stationed in St. Vincent's Hospital in

Athy Athy ( ; ) is a market town at the meeting of the River Barrow and the Grand Canal in south-west County Kildare, Ireland, 72 kilometres southwest of Dublin. A population of 9,677 (as of the 2016 census) makes it the sixth largest town in Kild ...

County Kildare County Kildare ( ga, Contae Chill Dara) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Leinster and is part of the Eastern and Midland Region. It is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the local authority for the county, ...

. Sr. Consilio first real interaction with alcoholics was when she worked in St. Vincent's. She realised that her true calling was to help the people who were marginalised and considered 'untouchables' and to show them that a rebirth was possible.

Dairy

In 1965 Sr. Consilio convinced the

nuns A nun is a woman who vows to dedicate her life to religious service, typically living under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience in the enclosure of a monastery or convent.''The Oxford English Dictionary'', vol. X, page 599. The term is o ...

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 dairy became the focal point of Sr. Consilio's work with the

homeless Homelessness or houselessness – also known as a state of being unhoused or unsheltered – is the condition of lacking stable, safe, and adequate housing. People can be categorized as homeless if they are: * living on the streets, also kn ...

and the

addicts Addiction is a neuropsychological disorder characterized by a persistent and intense urge to engage in certain behaviors, one of which is the usage of a drug, despite substantial harm and other negative consequences. Repetitive drug use oft ...

. By this time, a few

tradesmen A tradesman, tradeswoman, or tradesperson is a skilled worker that specializes in a particular trade (occupation or field of work). Tradesmen usually have work experience, on-the-job training, and often formal vocational education in contrast to ...

had begun to recover from their

addiction Addiction is a neuropsychological disorder characterized by a persistent and intense urge to engage in certain behaviors, one of which is the usage of a drug, despite substantial harm and other negative consequences. Repetitive drug use o ...

and they set to work on the dairy. Thus a functioning unit began. As the building was being reconstructed, so too were peoples lives being reconstructed. In the early days, the dairy became known as the 'dug out', so Sr. Consilio felt she must give it 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 it would have to include Our Lady's name and said '' none of this would have been possible without her''– hence the name "Cuan Mhuire".

First purpose-built rehabilitation center

In November 1972, a farm of land came up for sale just outside Athy. Sr. Consilio, encouraged by the support of her

Mother superior An abbess (Latin: ''abbatissa''), also known as a mother superior, is the female superior of a community of Catholic nuns in an abbey. Description In the Catholic Church (both the Latin Church and Eastern Catholic), Eastern Orthodox, Coptic ...

, paid a visit to the local bank manager. He asked Sr. Consilio how she would pay for it. She told him that "Our Lady would provide". Sr. Consilio attended the auction in full

nun A nun is a woman who vows to dedicate her life to religious service, typically living under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience in the enclosure of a monastery or convent.''The Oxford English Dictionary'', vol. X, page 599. The term is o ...

regalia and she came away from the auction with a forty two 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 had not to worry about honouring the big cheque. When he asked Sr. Consilio how she managed to pay for the land, she simply replied: "Our Lady helped me".

Programme

The mission statement of Cuan Mhuire is: :''To provide a context in which persons who feel rejected or dejected because of their addictions, become aware of, and learn to deal with, the underlying problems related to those addictions, and discover their uniqueness, giftedness and the real purpose in life.'' Cuan Mhuire is inspired by the belief "that every human being is made to the image and likeness of God, this means, that deep within each one, there are unlimited capacities for goodness, gentleness, kindness, generosity, endurance, happiness, joy, peace, love and truth". The Cuan Mhuire style of treatment is focused on tackling the two problems #The underlying issues that have created the addiction to an addictive substance. #The addiction to an addictive substance. The addiction programme aims to identify the underlying causes of the addiction and to deal with the pain underneath these addictions. Cuan Mhuire uses the following methods to achieve its goals. *Group Therapy *One-to-One Counselling *Meditation *Attendance at AA (Alcohol Anonymous), NA(Narcotics Anonymous), GA(Gamblers Anonymous) Meetings *Therapeutic Duties *Video lectures and discussions on all aspects of addiction and recovery *Family Day for relatives of persons in treatment *Aftercare for relatives of persons in recovery ;Philosophy *Eternal value – Cuan Mhuire believes that each human being is of eternal value, is made to the image and likeness of God and that there are no hopeless cases. *Unconditional love – For addicts Cuan Mhuire aims to be ''A light in the darkness, a beacon of hope'' *Total abstinence – Cuan Mhuire's underlying objective for its treatment is: ''Total Abstinence'' *Self change- Cuan Mhuire describes itself as ''A Place Where I change Myself, Not Anybody else''. ;Guiding principles Cuan Mhuire works to a number of guiding principles. #Emphasise the positive. Believing there is no value in the negative, guilt, remorse, poor self-image, and low self-esteem. These are things to be reduced or removed rather than boosted. #Responsibility is encouraged. Cuan Mhuire want to walk with people rather than do their walking for them. #Understanding where people are at, and where they are coming from. Many of Cuan Mhuire's staff who work with those currently suffering from addiction, have previously suffered similar experiences themselves. #Cuan Mhuire is a community to help, support its members. Cuan Mhuire considers that their community doesn't just include those who are in Cuan Mhuire but also draws in their families and carers. #Perseverance simply a refusal to give up on anyone. #Cuan Mhuire believes in the higher power offered to them by God and that Spirituality runs across and through Cuan Mhuire.

Recognition of work

Sr. Consilio has been publicly honoured on many occasions. Sr. Consilio has accepted every award or nomination on behalf of Cuan Mhuire. The awards include: *1975 Nurse of the Year in recognition of her work and professionalism *1977 Received a civic reception by the Lord Mayor of

Galway Galway ( ; ga, Gaillimh, ) is a City status in Ireland, city in the West Region, Ireland, West of Ireland, in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht, which is the county town of County Galway. It lies on the River Corrib between Lo ...

and nominated as one of the "People of the Year" *1993 Nominated for

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

Lord Mayor Awards and was placed on Dublin's civic honours list. The

Lord Mayor of Dublin The Lord Mayor of Dublin ( ga, Ardmhéara Bhaile Átha Cliath) is the honorary title of the chairperson ( ga, Cathaoirleach, links=no ) of Dublin City Council which is the local government body for the city of Dublin, the capital of Ireland. The ...

at that time was

Alderman An alderman is a member of a Municipal government, municipal assembly or council in many Jurisdiction, jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council membe ...

Gay Mitchell, T.D. *1996

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Person of the Year *1997

Person of the Year *1999 Conferred with Honorary Life Membership of the

Royal Dublin Society The Royal Dublin Society (RDS) ( ga, Cumann Ríoga Bhaile Átha Cliath) is an Irish philanthropic organisation and members club which was founded as the 'Dublin Society' on 25 June 1731 with the aim to see Ireland thrive culturally and economi ...

*1999 Winner of the Irish Sun "Sunshine Person of the Year" *1999 Hall of Fame Award sponsored by

Allied Irish Bank Allied Irish Banks, p.l.c. is one of the so-called Big Four commercial banks in Ireland. AIB offers a full range of personal, business and corporate banking services. The bank also offers a range of general insurance products such as home, trav ...

and the Kerryman *2000 Sr. Consillio was conferred with an Honorary Fellowship of the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery at the

Royal College of Surgeons The Royal College of Surgeons is an ancient college (a form of corporation) established in England to regulate the activity of surgeons. Derivative organisations survive in many present and former members of the Commonwealth. These organisations a ...

*2002 Conferred with Honorary Fellowship of the

Waterford Institute of Technology The Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT; ga, Institiúid Teicneolaíochta Phort Láirge) was an institute of technology, located in Waterford, Ireland. The institute had six constituent schools and offered programmes in business, engineerin ...

(WIT). *2002 Degree of Doctor of Laws (LLG) conferred by The Higher Education and Training Awards Council *2003 Voted, by

Radio Kerry Radio Kerry is a full-service, licensed radio station that operates from the franchise area of County Kerry in Southwest Ireland. Radio Kerry was established in 1989 and began broadcasting on 14 July 1990. The station headquarters are in Tral ...

listeners, "The Greatest Kerry Person of All Time" *2003 Awarded

Duhallow Duhallow () is a barony located in the north-western part of County Cork, Ireland. Legal context Baronies were created after the Norman invasion of Ireland as divisions of counties and were used in the administration of justice and the raising ...

Person of the Year. *2010 CHKS international quality improvement award for 2010. *2011 Sr. Consillio was awarded an honorary MBE in recognition of her lifelong work in helping individuals and families suffering from alcoholism and other addictions.

Locations

Since then Cuan Mhuire charity has increased in size dramatically going from one site in

to having locations all over the country. As of 2019 it has 5 full residential centres, 3 residential transition houses and 2 training centres. Cuan Mhuire has facilities in both north and south of Ireland. ;Full residential centres *Cuan Mhuire, Cardenton,

. *Cuan Mhuire, Coolarne,

Athenry Athenry (; ) is a town in County Galway, Ireland, which lies east of Galway city. Some of the attractions of the medieval town are its town wall, Athenry Castle, its priory and its 13th century street-plan. The town is also well known by virtu ...

County Galway "Righteousness and Justice" , anthem = () , image_map = Island of Ireland location map Galway.svg , map_caption = Location in Ireland , area_footnotes = , area_total_km2 = ...

. *Cuan Mhuire,

Bruree Bruree () is a village in south-eastern County Limerick, Ireland, on the River Maigue. It takes its name from the nearby ancient royal fortress, the alternative name of which from the earliest times into the High Middle Ages was ''Dún Eochair M ...

County Limerick "Remember Limerick" , image_map = Island_of_Ireland_location_map_Limerick.svg , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Ireland , subdivision_type1 = Province , subdivision_name1 = Munster , subdivision ...

. *Cuan Mhuire,

Newry Newry (; ) is a city in Northern Ireland, divided by the Clanrye river in counties Armagh and Down, from Belfast and from Dublin. It had a population of 26,967 in 2011. Newry was founded in 1144 alongside a Cistercian monastery, althoug ...

County Down County Down () is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, one of the nine counties of Ulster and one of the traditional thirty-two counties of Ireland. It covers an area of and has a population of 531,665. It borders County Antrim to the ...

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...

. *Cuan Mhuire, Farnanes,

County Cork County Cork ( ga, Contae Chorcaí) is the largest and the southernmost county of Ireland, named after the city of Cork, the state's second-largest city. It is in the province of Munster and the Southern Region. Its largest market towns are ...

. (women only) ;Residential transition houses *Teach Mhuire, 38–39 Lower

Gardiner Street Gardiner Street () is a long Georgian street in Dublin, Ireland. It stretches from the River Liffey at its southern end via Mountjoy Square to Dorset Street at its northern end. The Custom House terminates the vista at the southern end, and th ...

, Dublin. (men) *Sancta Maria, Hamilton Street, Dublin. (women) *Teach Mhuire, 21 St. Helen's Street,

. (men) *Teach Mhuire, Roxboro Road,

Limerick Limerick ( ; ga, Luimneach ) is a western city in Ireland situated within County Limerick. It is in the province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region. With a population of 94,192 at the 2016 ...

. (men) *Sancta Maria,

North Circular Road The North Circular Road (officially the A406 and sometimes known as simply the North Circular) is a ring road around Central London in England. It runs from Chiswick in the west to Woolwich in the east via suburban North London, connecting ...

, Limerick. (women) *Cuan Mhuire, Corfad,

Ballybay Ballybay () is a town and civil parish in County Monaghan, Ireland. The town is centred on the crossroads of the R183 and R162 regional roads. Geography The town is the meeting point for roads going to Monaghan, Castleblayney, Carrickma ...

County Monaghan County Monaghan ( ; ga, Contae Mhuineacháin) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Ulster and is part of Border strategic planning area of the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the town of Monaghan. Monaghan County Cou ...

. (men) *Teach Mhuire, Western Road, Cork. (men) ;Training *Cuan Mhuire, Ballycarron,

Golden, County Tipperary Golden () is a village in County Tipperary in Ireland. The village is situated on the River Suir. It is located between the towns of Cashel and Tipperary on the N74 road. In older times the village was known as Goldenbridge. It is also a parish ...

, provides in-service training for Cuan Mhuire and other staff. *An accredited two-year Diploma in Counselling is offered from the Galilee House of Studies in Athy.

References

External links

Cuan Mhuire Web Site
{{Authority control Drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers Charities based in the Republic of Ireland Athy Mental health organisations in Ireland