Kilkenny Leader Partnership (KLP) has long been a long-time advocate of the U-Casadh Project, funding numerous training programmes there in the past. The U-Casadh Project was established in 2008 in Ferrybank, Co Kilkenny to meet the complex needs of participants who have come to the attention of the Justice System and reduce the rates of recidivism in the community.
The Project provides meaningful and accredited training courses and aims to change the attitudes of participants by developing social and practical skill sets, which will ultimately lead to employment, integration and safer communities. In 2012, a group from U-Casadh travelled to Baltimore, West Cork for one week, as part of a craft course to participate in the reconstruction of the Ilen, a 50ft wooden sailing vessel in collaboration with the Ilen Boatbuilding School in Limerick. This trip had enormous social benefits for the participants as well as providing them with the opportunity to develop their wood working skills.
Their upcoming project has also been funded by KLP and involves building a twenty-three foot Gandelow river boat in their Ferrybank workshop. The Gandelow is a beautiful, three manned, clinker boat that has been revitalised by the Ilen Boat Building School. These boats are regularly raced in the Shannon region and have become a tourist attraction. The course aims to teach participants the history of ancient craft of boatbuilding and progress onward to river safety courses, and rowing skills.
KLP supports U-Casadh participant engagement in healthy, therapeutic pastimes as they focus on positive contributions to the community.
