WATCH St Munchins Community Centre launch new Sports and Social Hub in Ballynanty

St Munchins Community Centre launched its Sports and Social Hub in Ballynanty, Limerick, on Friday, June 26, 2026. Picture: Olena Oleksienko/ilovelimerick

St Munchins Community Centre Sports and Social Club is officially launched, giving the chance to reflect on what is being achieved

St Munchin’s Community Centre officially launched its newest community facility, with the Sports and Social Club offering an amenity to local people, transforming from a derelict property into a community hub.

Speaking at the launch, Linda Ledger, St Munchin’s Community Centre Manager, said it was an opportunity for the community to reflect on what is being achieved and what the group does in the area.

She said, “ Let’s celebrate. Let’s actually stop and take a breath and show people what we’re doing, encourage anybody in the communities or anybody who hasn’t found us yet to come out. This is for everybody!”

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The centre includes a training kitchen, gym and sports hall after the building was transformed from a derelict property into a community hub.

With their main centre in Kileely, St Munchin’s Community Centre offers a community café, health and beauty services, and social enterprises, as well as a northside campus offering education, classes, allotments, beekeeping and woodworking.

Linda spoke about the growth of the centre, telling I Love Limerick, “ We have the main centre in Killeely. That’s where we have our health and beauty, our community cafe, and a lot of our social enterprises. Then we took over the local school that was going to be closed. We’ve turned it into a north side campus.

“We have education, we have classes, we have allotments, we have bees, we have a woodworking room. Everything the community can use. And with the Educaiton and Training Board, they use it, and then we timetable it. We have a graveyard. We have two shrines. We have environmental stuff. We have allotments as well here in Ballinanty. Community grassroots using everything.”

The group employs 25 people directly and 131 staff across the city through a range of schemes.

Speaking about the newest opportunity with the Sports and Social Hub, Linda said, “ Then the opportunity came for here. Again, it was a building that was left to go derelict for a little bit. We never left anything go derelict.

“The actual solution is so simple. Ask community people what they want – they wanted something for kids – We were short a training kitchen because our kitchens are all industrial. So now we put in a training kitchen, a gym, and a sports hall.”

Staff members described the positive impact employment has had on their lives, with one single father saying the role had given him responsibility and made him a better role model for his son.

Noel Purcell said, “ It’s done a lot for me and my child. He’s eight. I’m a single father. This is after making a big impact on both our lives because I was doing nothing beforehand. I am actually finishing a gym instructor’s course.

“I’ve done a home maintenance course, and I have a job. They give me the keys. I’m in charge of it so now I have some responsibility. And my young fella sees that and he loves it, and he’s seen him doing stuff for the community, so he wants to do stuff for the community.”

Another employee, receptionist Michelle Purcell, said it had given them purpose and confidence after a brain injury.

“ It has given me a purpose each day, and the people here are so understanding of my needs. A brain injury. I’m not sitting at home. I’m getting up, getting out, doing things, meeting people, and I’m working, and it makes me feel special because I’m actually capable. So I really, really love working here.”

Looking to the future, Linda Ledger said it is for the people to decide, saying, “ Everything is about what people want. Everyone wants somewhere nice to go, to feel safe, happy, and warm. This is about community. They can decide.”