The Castletownbere Family & Community Resource Centre grew from the needs which exist in our community, and which has been identified over a number of years by voluntary and community groups and agencies working in the area. This prompted Beara Action Group to organise a number of public meetings, from which emerged a steering committee who liaised with government departments and lobbied on behalf of the people of Beara.

This resulted in the appointment of Mr. Philip Mortell to do an in-depth study of the area. His report confirmed that the area was suffering from disadvantage under a number of headings. Chief among these were the isolation of a large percentage of the population, the lack of any kind of facilities for our youth and the provision of facilities and premises to a number of voluntary and community groups operating in the area.

There was huge welcome for the news that the Department of Social & Family Affairs had approved in principle, funding for two Family Resource Centres on the Beara Peninsula. After aother public meeting on July 1st 2002, the management committee for the Castletownbere Family & Community Resource Centre began to take shape, and with the excellent facilitation of Brian O'Toole from Teamworks, we completed our 3 year workplan and application for funding. We got the green light for funding early this year and our Co-Ordinator, Mary Martin-Sullivan is now employed to carry out our goals.

Mary is currently based in an office next to the Beara Action Group Business Services Centre. Usual office hours are from 9 to 5 with an hour for lunch from 1-2, but with meetings and outreach work committments, these hours will fluctuate. She welcomes people to call in to her, who have queries, are looking for information or with ideas which will further enhance our community and the people who live there.

Since February 2003, The Haven Board are actively seeking to acquire the long-term leasing of the old Technical School in the North Road (subject to continued funding of this project) which has been lying idle since July 2003. This building would be the resource from which to base an active community centre - for our and other community groups in the area. Meetings have been held with Canon P. Sheehan, the Castletownbere Parish Council (who unanimously agreed that the building be used for this purpose) and with representatives of St. Brendan's Trust in Killarney last April. We are currently awaiting the outcome of these meetings, plus correspondence and other representations.