As we look back on the last 7 months, there are a few notable news items that come to mind:

• The coldest winter in 40 years forced us to close the Centre in January due to the fact we had no water supply due to frozen pipes. It is an ill wind that does not blow some good, the good was everyone got to stay at home for an extended winter break for 10 days from Wednesday 6^th January to Monday 18^th January 2010.

• Five people due to finish in Scoil Chormac have done their skill sample in the Centre and they are due to start on the RT Programme after the Summer holidays. They are Alex Lawton, Shauna Bloom, Audrey Tynan, Eamon McCarthy and Damien O’Brien.

• The Centre ran a very successful golf classic in conjunction with the JP McManus Invitational PRO-AM 2010. 67 teams participated and the top two teams were entered to play in the Grand Qualifiers. 91 teams played for eight places to qualify to play with the world’s greatest golfers in Adare in July. MooreHaven team 1_ Joey O’Dwyer, Nicky Cummins and Joe Franklin qualified as one of the eight teams to play in the JP McManus Invitational PRO-AM 2010. Over the two days of the PRO-AM, Joey, Nicky and Joe were drawn to play with Johaan Edfors  from Sweden and Steve Marino from the States. They carded a team score of 27 under finishing in 6^th place overall with the third best score on day 2. In the professional tournament Darren Clarke lifted the trophy with a 3 under par taking the crown from Padraig Harrington, the winner in 2005. The Centre has submitted an application for capital funding from the proceeds of the PRO-AM 2010. Funding will go towards Phase 3 development of the Centre i.e. a dedicated sheltered occupational services building to replace the old demolished workshop building.

• Bernard Moloney, architect for Phase 3 redevelopment of new MooreHaven, came up with 4 different options for the location and design of the building. The Staff engaged pro-actively with the plans bringing forward suggestions that are incorporated in the most recent design option. Plans will be finalized over the coming weeks culminating in an application for planning permission to Tipperary Town Council.

• Funding-wise, the Centre continues to manage to maintain service levels with a 2% value for money/ efficiency cut in the Centre’s budget and a 5% cut in wages in line with the new consolidated HSE payscales on 1^st January 2010. The cumulative value for money cuts is at 5% over the last 2 years which has presented a very challenging environment to sustain service levels. I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the cooperation of all the stake holders i.e. service users, their parents / guardians and staff for their forbearance in making the required changes to make ends meet.

• Congratulations to our 9 service users for their fantastic performances at the national Special Olympic games held recently in Limerick, winning 5 gold, 3 silver and 4 bronze medals. Big well done to our Olympians- Donal Carroll, Sally Ann Conway, Mary Treacy, Karina Houlihan, Olivia Morrissey, Gerard Heffernan, William Naughton, Marian McGrath and Marian Ryan

Two of our service users sadly passed away, Marie Kavanagh from Bansha and Hannah Cronin from Ballylanders, Co Limerick. Marie had been in MooreHaven for over 3 years. Marie was very popular with staff and service users; she had a great sense of humour and she always wore a happy smile on her face. Fr Hickey, in his homily at Marie’s funeral mass, said they were the happiest years of her life which were the words of Marie’s mother, Mrs Kavanagh.

Hannah was a great part of MooreHaven. She was a very bubbly person, loved meeting people and was very happy in her role working in St Vincents on a FAS CE Scheme. Hannah’s passing came as a great shock as she was at work on Wednesday and was in her usual effervescent form, full of the joys of Spring. On Thursday morning, the sad news of her passing filtered through to the Centre. As dheis De go raibh said uile.