Gallery: L'Arche Kilkenny gets civic recognition to honour four decades of community work

Members, volunteers and friends of Kilkenny’s L’Arche community turned out in force for a civic reception in County Hall, to mark the organisation’s 40th anniversary here.

In one of his final invitational hosting events as Cathaoirleach of Kilkenny County Council, Cllr David Fitzgerald welcomed the group, and paid tribute to them on the special occasion.

He presented the group with a certificate, which read: “In recognition of the value of their voluntary service to the community and in particular for the provision of housing and employment opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities in County Kilkenny over the past 40 years.”

L’Arche, which was first established in Ireland in 1978 in Kilmoganny, is an international network of faith communities where people with and without an intellectual disability share life together. During the past 40 years, L’Arche Kilkenny has grown so that it now includes four residential houses, a café, four Independent Living Core Member chalets, a garden workshop, and a craft workshop.

Meanwhile the first-ever L’Arche house in Ireland, which is in Kilmoganny, turned 40 last month, and the group held a special ‘birthday’ fundraiser to help with its upkeep. Moorefield House, across from the Garda Station in Kilmoganny, has hosted countless people with disabilities and volunteers for four decades.

For more information, to donate or see the progress of the campaign, visit www.larcheireland.org or the group’s Facebook page.