RURAL, PEACEFUL FEEL TO NEW CASTLEBRIDGE NURSING HOME

THERE WERE smiles all around as the new Castlebridge Manor Nursing Home was officially opened by Labour Party leader Brendan Howlin.

The 95-bed nursing home is designed on the style of a country manor and has been undergoing construction over the past 18 months.

More than 120 people attended the official opening, many of whom were local suppliers and contractors who worked on the new facility.

Currently, the home employs 50 people, all of whom had spent the five weeks prior to the opening, undergoing training.

Managing director and owner of Castlebridge Manor Turlough Considine said the opening was as much a thank-you to the local community and workforce, as it was a celebration of being open for business.

‘We had the opening in the morning and the building control officers from Wexford County Council came in to sign off on the work that afternoon so it was really straight off the press,’ he said.

The home took in its first two residents towards the end of last week and Mr Considine said that they had ten more people due to join them in the coming weeks.

He expressed his hope that the home’s presence would help to ease the pressure for beds in the local hospital.

The nursing home, although situated on the outskirts of the busy village of Castlebridge, had a very rural and peaceful feel to it, he said.

Deputy Howlin congratulated all who were involved in the planning, design and construction of the nursing home. As a former Minister for Health, he was keenly aware of the issues in the health service, and he spoke about the need for quality care for the elderly.

Mr Considine stressed the consid- erable local effort in the building, pointing out that over 100 local people had worked on the construction phase, while approximately 70% of the inhouse staff were local.

He added that they had, insofar as they could, used mostly local suppliers and he commended the local craftsmen who had done a fantastic job on the finishings of the building.

The owners, the McCormack and Hobson families, he pointed out, had been in the nursing home business for over 30 years.

MD Turlough Considine, John Hobson, Rena Galvin, TD Brendan Howlin, Mary McCormack, Joan Hobson and Cllr George Lawlor.

TD Brendan Howlin with staff members.

Damien Mason, Irene Mason, Angela Orange and Noel Orange.

James Ormonde, Eileen Ormonde and Ed Lyons.

David Kenny, Jodie Kenny Goff and Caroline Kenny.