The Daughters of Charity came to Ireland in 1855 and have been involved in providing services for persons with intellectual disability since 1925 when they would established the Daughters of Charity Disability Support Services. Operating originally from St. Vincent’s Centre, Navan Road, from which it provided a nationwide service, the Community identified a need for a similar service in Limerick and opened its centre in Lisnagry in 1952, and in 2007 the organisation was invited by the Health Service Executive to manage the services of St. Anne’s in Roscrea.
Navan Road centre
2018 marked a change in leadership and a new focus on the future and development of the organisation. We introduced a new CEO and began the steps to prepare the organisation for changes and alignment to developing national care strategies. Over the next year the organisation undertook a thorough consultation process involving staff, the people we support, families, and other stakeholders to underpin the new strategic plan. In 2020 the Daughters of Charity announced that they would leave the organisation and turn over managerial control and all assets to an independent board of directors. This move was done in accordance with the traditions of the Daughters – they manage the services they founded until it is time for them to operate and continue to flourish on their own. A key decision was reached prior to this announcement to change the name and brand identity to reflect the present state of the organisation and its future and allow the organisation to change with the times and the changing nature of healthcare provision in Ireland
In 2021 – we formally launched our new brand identity – Avista
