Consilio Fitzgerald rsm

Athy’s Cuan Mhuire founder Sr. Consilio Fitzgerald will receive the 5th Oireachtas Human Dignity Award for ‘Special Contribution to Irish life’ on Thursday, December 5th at 11am.

Sr. Consilio founded Cuan Mhuire 53 years ago which provides addiction treatment services and residential rehabilitation to 3,000 people a year.  She was nominated for the award, which is presented by the Oireachtas Human Dignity Group, at the November meeting of the Group, following a proposal from Senator Rónán Mullen.  The Oireachtas Human Dignity Group was established to promote discussion in Leinster House about the importance of respecting human dignity at all stages of life.  The award honours a person whose contribution to the promotion and protection of human dignity has been exemplary.

Leinster House

Over fifty years ago Sr. Consillo was moved by the plight of the ‘men of the road’ who came to seek a night’s lodgings in St. Vincent’s Hospital, Athy, where she was working at the time.  To cope with the growing numbers seeking her assistance, she soon opened a facility in the convent’s dairy.

Today, there are five treatment centres around Ireland, including a women-only facility in Cork, as well as seven transition facilities throughout the country.

This article was first published in the Leinster Leader on 4th December, 2019 and was written by Paula Campbell