On July the 16th, Kyrie Therapeutic Farm welcomed a small delegation from Kildare Local Community Development Committee, together with representatives from key statutory and community organisations, for an informal site visit to learn more about this innovative initiative being developed in County Kildare.

The visit provided an opportunity for attendees to become familiar with the vision and plans for Kyrie Therapeutic Farm, which aims to establish a new recovery-focused model of support for people experiencing mental health challenges. The project seeks to create a therapeutic environment that combines nature, community participation and wellbeing supports to help individuals on their recovery journey. The farm is being developed on a 57-acre site near Ardclough, Co. Kildare and is expected to open in late 2027 with accommodation for up to 40 guests.

Although the development of the service is still at an early stage, with fundraising ongoing, significant progress is already being made through the commitment of volunteers.

John McKeon, Founder and Director of Kyrie Farm, and Dr Eoin Galavan, Clinical Psychologist and member of the project team provided an informative presentation on the concept behind the farm and led a guided tour of the site, outlining the vision, ethos and future plans for the development.

The visit was highly informative and offered valuable insight into an innovative community-based approach to supporting mental health recovery in Ireland.