Kilcullen Man Hoped For A Social Lifeline - Now the HSE May Sell The Building Locals Spent Years Restoring

Tuesday, 15 July 2025 15:34

By Martin Osborne

For people like Ronan Murray, the decision isn’t about land or policy - it’s about connection and a vital social outlet.

Ronan Murray lives alone in Kilcullen.

He’s “not great on his feet” and relies on a rollator walker.

Despite that, he visits Woodbine Books most days, just to see a familiar face and exchange a few words.

For him, the possible sale of the nearby Teach na nDaoine building isn’t just a bureaucratic matter - it’s personal.

“It’s less than a mile from my house,” he told Kfm. “If it were used as a day centre, it would change my life - and the lives of a lot of people."

The building, long seen as a potential hub for community services, was restored over several years by local volunteers who were acting on the understanding that the HSE would continue to lease it for community use.

Emails seen by Kfm detail how a nine-year lease was discussed by the HSE but never formalised.

Now, locals have been told the HSE is considering putting the property up for sale, potentially to the highest bidder.

Kildare County Council has expressed strong interest in acquiring the building and has asked the HSE to transfer ownership for a nominal fee.

While the site is not included in the Council’s Capital Delivery Programme, councillors have provisionally allocated Local Property Tax funding to carry out the remedial work needed to bring it into public use.

Residents, however, feel blindsided.

Many secured grants and gave their time freely to restore the building, believing it would serve the local community.

Fine Gael Cllr Tracey O'Dwyer said if the building is sold on the open market, the HSE will be profiting from the unpaid labour and goodwill of local people.

The HSE told Kfm it would issue an updated statement on the matter today.

Pressure is mounting from both local representatives and residents for the agency to confirm whether it will hand the building over to the council for a nominal fee or proceed with a sale.

For people like Murray, the decision isn’t about land or policy - it’s about a vital social outlet.

“There aren’t many places for people like me to go,” he said.