St. Catherines Training Centre

St.Catherine's Senior Traveller's Training Centre
Cox's Lane, Carlow

Phone: 059 9142819
Fax: 059 9140926
e-mail: carlowsttc@eircom.net

Mission Statement

St.Catherine's Senior Traveller's Training Centre strives to develop the individual's self reliance and sense of responsibility through the provision of educational and training programmes. We work towards ongoing progression and educational integration to enhance the participant's educational options and choices.

Aims and Objectives

1. To provide education.

• To prepare learners for FETAC exams in a wide range of subjects on an ongoing basis.
• To improve literacy and numeracy in every subject on an ongoing basis.
• To establish and maintain a quality assurance system within the centre on an ongoing basis.

2. To enhance skills

• To enable learners to develop new skills e.g. in wood work metal work childcare, in order to enhance their level of progression on an ongoing basis.

3. To encourage full personal development

• To develop the confidence and self-worth of all learners through the activities undertaken in the centre and in their daily lives.
• Cornerstone of St. Catherine's policy is developing mutual respect and sense of responsibility among both learners and staff.
• To show interest in and respect for learner's culture within centre activities on an ongoing basis.

4. To value life's opportunities.

• To provide an opportunity for learners to return to education, learn new skills, develop personally and thus enhance their life opportunities.

HISTORY

The establishment of Senior Traveller Training Centres was pioneered by Sr. Collette O'Dwyer. The first centres were opened in Bray Co. Wicklow and Ennis in Co. Clare.

The Senior Travelling Training Centre in Carlow was established in 1978 by members of the Traveller Settlement Committee, under the guidance of Mrs Loreta McVeigh and Mrs Nora Nolan. The centre was the 3rd such centre in the country, and was located in prefabs adjacent to St. Catherine's Community Centre on St Joseph's Road (hence the name St Catherine's). The operational costs were borne jointly by AnCo (now Fas) and Co. Carlow V.E.C as follows

The centre opened in October 1978 with twelve male learners and one full-time woodwork teacher, part-time metalwork and literacy teachers. Amongst the first teachers were,

Mr. Liam Coolohan (Woodwork)
Mr. P L Curran (Metalwork)
Sr.Columba (Literacy)

Co. Carlow V.E.C provided the benches for woodwork from one of their schools in Tullow, while the Irish Sugar Co. purpose built and provided the benches for metalwork for the new training centre. Sheridan's Garage transported the benches from Tullow free-of-charge, and the Lions Club also gave a donation.

The Centre continued its work and in September 1980 twelve Traveller girls joined the centre. The girls began with cookery and crafts.

Ms Mary Maher (Cookery)
Mrs Mairead Doyle (Crafts)

Space was a problem and other premises and venues were looked at with a view to re-locating from St. Joseph's Road. Having acquired a leasehold interest on the old shoe factory in Cox's Lane by means of a County Council grant (£7000) the centre re-located to the present premises in 1982.
The building was in need of major repairs and renovation. Work on repairing the building was carried out by AnCo trainees and apprentices under the supervision of woodwork teacher Mr. Jim O'Brien and supervisor Mr. Jim Maher. Funding for this project was provided by AnCo.

The centre continued to grow and Mr. Tony O'Reilly joined the centre as Director in 1984. The numbers continued to grow and in 1985 the number of learners increased from 24 to 30.
Ms Caroline Grant joined the centre as secretary, Caroline remained in the centre until 2002.

New subjects were introduced to cater for the growing number of learners including Industrial Sewing and Upholstery, Jewellery making, Ceramics.
With the aid of funding from the Department of Environment (£ 7,000) an employment project for trainees was opened at the rear of the building. This project specialised in manufacturing and re-upholstering of household furniture, bar-seating and hotel furniture was also refurbished. The IDA Ireland provided grant aid to cover refurbishment costs and to purchase necessary equipment including, compressor, pneumatic staple guns industrial sewing machines and hand tools etc. This project continued to operate until the early 1990's at which stage the entire premises was taken over for training purposes.

The Centre's influence on travellers and the settled community is very positive. A meals on wheels service was provided by the centre for the senior citizens of Carlow, and was funded by The Lions Club. This service was provided until1990 when it was taken over by the Social Services Centre, this service was seen as a "give back" to the settled community from the travellers. With more time available to the learners the curriculum was expanded to include Machine Knitting, Hair-care, Personal Development, Computer Skills, Horticulture, Stained Glass, Clay Modelling, Sewing and Crafts, a Counselling Service is also available.

St Catherine's is a member of NATC's (National Association of Traveller Training Centres) and this association organises events where all centres can meet each other. St Catherine's has visited many venues since it's formation, including Salthill in Galway (1985), Rosslare Strand (1988). Some of our learners visited President Mary Robinson at a function in Dublin (1990), our most recent trips have included Waterford Glass, Kilmainham Jail, Japanese Gardens, National Stud, and last summer we visited Mount Usher Gardens and Powerscourt in Co. Wicklow.

The overall responsibility for the running of the centre was taken over by Co. Carlow V.E.C in 1998. The centre is now "Education Based" with the emphasis more on education than on industrial training. The centre is now FETAC accredited and offers a wide range of modules from level 3 upwards.

Mr. Tony O'Reilly retired as Director in 2002 and was succeeded by Mr. John Hogan. The Centre continues to grow and recent exhibitions of learners work was displayed in Carlow Co. Council offices and in Mount Wolseley Hotel, highlights the skills and talents of the learners, and the professional attitude of all the tutors in the Centre.
The present condition of the building gives cause for concern, however Mr. Larry Kavanagh C.E.O. Co. Carlow V.E.C. is in ongoing discussions with the Department of Education and Science to secure funding for a new premises.

The Centre is in existence for the last 28 years and the present Director, learners and staff all working in unison, ably assisted by all in Co.Carlow V.E.C. here's looking forward to the next 28 years.

[St. Catherine's Carlow] [St. Joseph's Ennis] [St. Finbarr's Blackpool] [St. Fiachra's Letterkenny] [St. Joseph's Finglas] [Cara Park Coolock] [St. Oliver's Clondalkin] [St. Basil's Tallaght]
[Sandy Road Galway] [Madonna House Ballinasloe] [Ballygar Galway] [St. Brendan's Loughrea] [St. Benin's Tuam] [St Anne's Killarney] [St. Canice's Portlaoise] [St. Joseph's Carrick-on-Shannon] [Fealeside Abbeyfeale] [Riverside Rathkeale] [St. Mel's Longford] [Tara Dundalk]
[St. Catherine's Ballina] [Navan] [Birr] [St. Colmcille's Tullamore] [Roscommon]
[Youth Dev Proj Thurles] [Shannon Bank Athlone] [Mullingar] [Ross Youth New Ross]
[St. Kieran's Bray] [Centre of Education Wicklow]
All content © National Co-ordination Unit for Senior Traveller Training Centres - Email gerard.griffin@sttc.ie
Web Design © Oscail Technology Services
Site Maintenance Deirdre Moynihan webmaster@sttc.ie
Disclaimer: The information contained in these Web pages is, to the best of our knowledge, true and accurate at the time of publication, and is solely for information purposes. We accept no liability for any loss or damage howsoever arising as a result of use or reliance on this information