Religious order answers city community’s prayers

A RELIGIOUS order has just answered a city community’s prayers.

The SMA Fathers in Blackrock yesterday handed over land worth almost €5 million to the people of Ballintemple and Blackrock for the construction of a community centre and a 60-place childcare facility.

The donation of the 2.5 acre parcel of land, between the SMA Father’s church on Church Road and the Boreenmanna Road, has been described by Cork property insiders as an “incredibly generous offer.”

Clanrickarde, developer Clayton Love’s former home on three acres just up the road from the site, sold three years ago for £3 million. The order previously donated a parcel of land to Crab Lane National School for two prefabs. Parish priest Fr Jim O’Kane is the driving force behind the €3.2m community centre project.

“We hope to have planning through within the next two weeks,” he said.

A former parish priest at the SMA’s church in Wilton, Cork, Fr Jim is also responsible for the construction of the community centre there, one of the most successful community centre’s in Cork.

He is also behind the recent construction of the order’s 20-room retirement and retreat house in Claregalway. Now a major fundraising drive has been launched to help pay for the ambitious Blackrock project.

Designed by Cork-based Frank Murphy & Partners Architects, the two-storey split-level centre will have a sports hall, stage, shower area, meeting rooms and coffee bar.

The childcare and creché facility is expected to prove extremely popular.

The childcare facility will be managed separately while the overall centre will be run by a management committee drawn from the local community. It will employ a full-time manager.

Blackrock GAA club will be among the local organisations to benefit from the new facility, using its indoor sports facilities.

A Cash for Cars fundraising draw, with a prize fund worth €70,000, has been set up with tickets available from the SMA Blackrock or Crab Lane National School in Ballintemple.

The closing date has been extended to March 27.