17.08.2021
Greystones Community and Churches celebrate as President opens Carrig Eden facility
The President, Michael D Higgins, and his wife Sabina visited Carraig Eden in Greystones as their first public engagement since the Covid–19 pandemic. At the opening ceremony to dedicate the building to its future work President Higgins spoke passionately about the need to confront the problems of addiction that surround us in everyday life. He instanced the coverage of sport on television that is often accompanied by alluring advertising for gambling. We need to recognise and build communities and a society that behaves more responsibly in the face of the temptations that lead to addictions, he said.
During their two–hour visit the President and Mrs Higgins spoke with residents and staff and planted a sapling cherry tree. The President said that Tiglin Carraig Eden was something that Wicklow and Tiglin could be proud of. “You have this magnificent facility available for all of the people who want to use it. I hope that when county managers and councillors meet they will take this example and ask if they could not do something like this in their own area,” he commented.
Following a substantial refurbishment and retro–fit for Tiglin Challenge, Carraig Eden, a landmark building on Greystones seafront, has been relaunched as a transitional housing centre for men on the recovery stage of the Tiglin programme. It is a vision of what can be done to serve the needs of a community within a community. Carraig Eden is a 34–unit aftercare centre which complements the residential rehabilitation services for men in Ashford and for women in Brittas Bay.
Formerly Carraig Eden was a holiday home under the ‘Christian Endeavour Ireland’ banner. It provided traditional seaside holidays (relatively inexpensively), to families from all over Ireland, mostly Church of Ireland or reformed churches it seems. People from all corners of the country still link Greystones with nostalgic memories of Carraig Eden holidays.
The Rector of Greystones, Canon David Mungavin, highlighted the continuation of Christian outreach from the prominent building. “It is something of a miracle that the building continues to be a place of Christian outreach and service. Through Tiglin Challenge this place of tranquillity and beauty is devoted to the rehabilitation of those progressing through the addiction programmes that Tiglin offers to so many across Ireland,” he said. Canon Mungavin led the opening prayers at the ceremony on behalf of Greystones Churches Together.
In a related recent development it has been announced that the nearby YWCA site in Greystones at Coolnagreina on Trafalgar Road will also come under the Tiglin umbrella. It will continue to be a place of Christian service both in its current format and in providing women’s care and facilities related to the work of the Tiglin charity. “This is a remarkable development, given that so many buildings and sites in prime and prestigious locations tend to be developed into exclusive private accommodation….a little victory for the Kingdom!” Canon Mungavin remarked.
