€4.8 Million Alcoholism Recovery Centre To Be Built In Cork

An €4.8m expansion of the alcohol rehabilitation facility, Fellowship House, by the Tabor Group is underway and hopes to be completed in summer 2018.

The facility is located just outside of Cork City, and will provided 15 housing units for men who have already successfully completed the group's three-month alcohol addiction treatment programme but still need help assisting to independent living.

The expansion will also up the number of available residential places on Tabor's  treatment programme from 10 to 16.

The Tabor group began with Tabor Lodge in 1989, treating people addicted to alcohol, and has since grown to three centres in Cork also providing care to those suffering from substances, gambling, and food addictions.

Chairman Pat Coughlan said to the Irish Examiner that last year they treated over 200 people, and that alcohol is still the drug of choice in Ireland, even over cocaine or heroin.

He said: “The biggest change over the years that I’ve seen is the age of the people we treat. It used to be middle-aged people but now it’s men and woman in their 20s and 30s.

"But they can rebuild their lives, they can overcome it, and live their lives to the full.”

The next plans for the group is to begin work on expanding their Renewal centre facilities, which is a step-down treatment centre for women.

It currently has a three-month waiting list.