4 days ago
Wexford boy whose letter captured the heart of Tánaiste Simon Harris opens sensory room in Kilmuckridge
Sean is a longstanding member of the club, who began working on the project to provide a space for children and adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
Sean spoke about the importance of inclusivity in the community. 'There's a lot of people in the club with children with siblings or friends and family who have autism.
'They can now bring their other children down with them and can benefit from the use of the sensory room.'
Sean's 13-year-old son, Kai officially cut the ribbon on the day to celebrate the new space. Sean's son was born with autism, and said he understands trying to balance the needs of children.
'I know how difficult it is, there's not any spaces in our area like sensory rooms and stuff or anything that is there for them if they're not in some kind of camp or organisation,' he said.
The sensory room is designed to combine a range of items of stimuli to help people develop and engage with their senses. This sensory room includes lights, colours, sounds and sensory play objects to allow individuals to explore and interact in a safe space.
Sean said the sensory room is open to all members of the community, and a membership to St. Josephs Club is not need. 'As long as the club house is open, the gates are open – anyone who needs it can go in and use it,' he said.
In January 2025, Kai made touched hearts of Ireland after writing a letter to Taoiseach Simon Harris using the Rapid Prompting Method (RPM) after meeting him during the official launch of Gorey Hill School.
The idea to create a sensory space in the club was first brought to Sean after seeing a mother trying to keep her child content with ear defenders and an iPad, so she could watch her child play the match. 'One Sunday morning we were playing a match and there was a woman going to the training with her son. She had another son with ear defenders.
'I was thinking like it'd be very tough for her for to keep him company for about two hours,' Sean added.
He received support from members of the Oulart community, who raised €8,000 from one single event. Margaret Gray organised a fundraiser bingo night which was well supported.
Sean spoke about the local support. 'A fundraising group in Oulart helped us out and made over €8,000 towards it. It went from there, everyone really bought into it in the community and just got behind it.'
Councillor Mary Farrell attended the launch of the sensory room, and said the space is fantastic for children and adults to go and relax and enjoy the calmness of the space. 'It's a great service and it's absolutely wonderful,' she said.
Sean thanked the Kilmuckridge community for their huge support with the project and praised all local businesses and sponsors who got behind the sensory room.
He also said the clubhouse is used for various clubs including the Men's Shed Association and First Responders groups. 'The support we got was really good. We're just building a community in the club.
'We just want to make the club more inclusive for everyone,' Sean said.
