The Congregation of the Brothers of Charity is a religious voluntary organisation founded in 1807 to care for and enhance the lives of people with disabilities. The Brothers of Charity first came to Ireland in 1883. In the early 1970’s we established an assessment and advisory service in Limerick City at the invitation of the then Midwestern Health Board and the services were greatly expanded in the following years.
It was 1977 when Bawnmore welcomed its first residents. At that time Bawnmore was hailed as the most modern residential centre for adults with disabilities in Europe. The plan was that when Phase 1 (150 places) was completed, further building works (Phase II) would commence which would offer a further 100 residential places. Fortunately, the oil crises in 1976 halted this part of the project and Phase II of Bawnmore never saw the light of day. The additional 100 residential places materialised in the 1980’s however these came in the form of community houses in Limerick City and County and in County Clare.
Today, the Brothers of Charity Services, Limerick supports 358 adults with intellectual disabilities and over 400 children and their families attend our children’s services in West Limerick.
The Brothers of Charity Services Ireland is the single shareholder in six subsidiary companies that deliver services to persons with intellectual disabilities on behalf of the Congregation of the Brothers of Charity in Ireland. The Company and its subsidiaries were established by the Congregation on 1st January 2007 following a National Strategic Review of Services.
When the newly incorporated structure was launched by the Brothers of Charity in 2007 it was decided that the structure would be reviewed at the end of a six year period. The Board of Directors of the Brothers of Charity Services Ireland has been carrying out this review. In the course of the review the Board of Directors have been taking into account the changing expectations, aspirations, hopes and dreams of the children, adults, and their families, who are supported by the Brothers of Charity Services.
The Board has also been conscious of the new structure that has been developing in the Health Services Executive (HSE), the consideration being given to tendering and contracting for services, the need for a new and more positive approach to Shared Services and the more recent requirements that have been emerging in respect of compliance that will underpin the future relationship between the Department of Health / HSE and service providers in the voluntary sector.
Arising from their consideration of all of the above the Board of Directors at its January 2014 meeting decided to opt for one National Company to provide the governance for all of the services of the Brothers of Charity in Ireland.
The new National Structure came into effect from July 2014.
The Brothers of Charity Services Limerick adheres to and promotes the ethos and principles of the Brothers of Charity Congregation in the management and delivery of the services. Service delivery is influenced by the needs of people who use our services. Services are designed around the individual and are measured using an accredited quality system. Personal Outcome Measures (Council on Quality and Leadership) focus on the items and issues that matter most to individuals in their lives.
The Brothers of Charity Services Limerick is governed by a Board. This Board ensures that the local company provides services in keeping with the ethos and guiding principles set by the National Company and in compliance with national governing statements. The day to day management of the Company is a matter for the Director of Services and the Senior Management Team. The Board comprises of the following directors:-
- Gerard Lyons, Chairman
- Gere O’Byrne
- Patrick Brosnan
- Kieron Brennan
