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Carers Network Ireland supported by the BNest Incubator Programme

Pictured at the BNest Social Enterprise Incubator Showcase 2018 – 2019 at Nexus Innovation Centre, UL are (left to right) Dr Sarah Miller, CEO of The Rediscovery Centre, Eamon Ryan, BNest, Ronah Corcoran, Carers Network Ireland, Kasia Zabinska, BNest and Pauline Gannon, BNest. Picture: Conor Owens/ilovelimerick.

Carers Network Ireland supported by the BNest Incubator Programme

By I Love Limerick Correspondent Sinead Fitzgibbon

Ronah Corcoran, Founder & Director of Carers Network Ireland spent many years caring for the most vulnerable. Ronah has worked in youth and homelessness services for the past 20 years, she is also a qualified holistic therapist.


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Recently she decided to shift her focus to providing care to her peers. Carers Network Ireland (CNI) addresses increasing mental health issues in the care sector, by providing workshops, events, individual supports and by creating a supportive community.

carers network ireland

Pictured at the BNest Social Enterprise Incubator Showcase 2018 – 2019 at Nexus Innovation Centre, UL. Picture: Orla McLaughlin/ilovelimerick.

Ronah explains why she set up CNI, ‘I noticed in the last few years an increase in mental health issues in the care sector and I thought that something should be done about it. I did some research and interviewed 170 care workers online and in person to see what supports they wanted and needed. From that then developed a programme and offered a 6 week pilot programme in Galway and we offer things like art therapy, yoga and online support forums and discussion boards, also links to mental health organisations and other wellness activities that were being held in the area, to offer as many supports as we could to the care workers in Galway.’

Carers Network Ireland recently took part in the BNest Incubator Programme, the first dedicated Social Enterprise Incubator Programme in Ireland, which caters to all types of organisations from non-profits to community enterprises to businesses with a social conscience. BNest offers a six-month peer programme at no cost to participating organisations and is dedicated to helping businesses that want to make a social impact.

Ronah told ilovelimerick why she took part in the BNest Incubator Programme, ‘I applied to the BNest program because it was recommended to me. I decided to join the program after meeting with founder Eamon Ryan. I appreciated his welcoming yet honest approach towards emerging social entrepreneurs in Ireland. Eamon, Kasia and Pauline run an excellent social entrepreneurs program and I would highly recommend it to anyone in Ireland looking for practical social enterprise supports.’

Ronah and the team of Carers Network Ireland are determined to help care workers all over Ireland. Ronah said, ‘We think it is time that care workers in Ireland receive the support they desperately are looking for and need, we hope to offer hubs across Ireland in the near future.’

For more information about Carers Network Ireland visit

For more information about BNest go here

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Richard is a presenter, producer, songwriter and actor. He was named the Limerick Person of the Year (2011) and won an online award at the Metro Éireann Media and Multicultural Awards (2011) for promoting multi-culturalism online. Richard says that the ilovelimerick.com concept is very much a community driven project that aims to document life in Limerick. So, that in 20 years time people can look back and remember the events that were making the headlines.