West Kerry Care of the Aged group buys Rice House
WEST Kerry Care of the Aged has bought the historic Rice House on Main Street, which is currently leased to Kerry ETB, the Kerryman learned at the official opening of the Dingle Further Education and Training Centre in the building.
The new Kerry ETB centre in Dingle will offer an expanded range of course in further education as well as PLC courses and apprenticships.
West Kerry Care of the Aged bought the Rice building with a five-year lease to Kerry ETB in place. However, in the longer term West Kerry Care of the Aged will use the building to expand the services they provide for the elderly in the community.
West Kerry Care of the Aged is a development of Seanóirí an Daingin, which was formed 48 years ago by a group including Nora Curran and John Joe Greaney.
The building’s location was the prime reason that the purchase was made and it will allow West Kerry Care of the Aged to provide extra services in addition to those already provided through Gairdín Mhuire.
Nora Curran, who was at the opening of the Kerry ETB Offices on Monday, said that the intention was to move the ‘Siopa Fiail’ to the Rice House as well as services such as aromatherapy and hairdressing.
West Kerry Care of the Aged Manager, Marie O’Mahony, told The Kerryman that they “were delighted to have the opportunity to buy a building in the centre of the town which will make it possible, for example, for elderly people to visit the library, call to the chemist or do some shopping while on a visit to the centre”
Marie said careful management of money since the group’s inception, plus the sale of property owned by the group, made it possible for West Kerry Care of the Aged to buy the Rice House on behalf of all the elderly people on the peninsula.