Cashen Court and Cashen Close, Dun Alainn, Listowel, are estates comprising 49 homes, delivered by Co-operative Housing Ireland in partnership with Kerry County Council, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, the Housing Agency, and the Housing Finance Agency.

Danielle

I’m from Listowel, I’ve lived here my whole life, so it’s nice to get a home here. I have 6 sisters and my mom and dad close by. It’s nice to be by my family. I’m learning to drive at the moment. It’s lovely up here, I really like it, I can’t fault the place at all. I’m here since April, we moved in a week or two after we got our keys.

When I came to see the home here, I knew straight away. I had been renting close by for eight years, so I always had designs in my head that I wanted to do so it’s great now to be able to get to do your own thing, to pick colours for the walls, you know. My daughter has her own room upstairs. Like that now she wanted pink and blue, they’re her favourite colours. She loves unicorns so I got a few unicorn bits for her. In the old house, I did make her room her own, but it’s different here. It’s lovely here and it’s so warm here too. I haven’t had the thermostat up since April! My sisters always comment on the warmth when they come and visit. Upstairs is so warm, you’re sweating! I keep to myself but the neighbours seem nice. There are lot of people my age, which is nice to see. It’s nice to see familiar faces.

In the other home I was in, I had been renting for eight years, it was the first place I rented when I moved out of home. And I stayed there because I was lucky, the landlord never upped the price, but the house wasn’t in the best condition. My little girl has asthma and was often sick in that home. The landlord wanted to sell and was waiting for me to get housed to do it. I needed to get out of there. Here is like gold to me, it’s totally different.

I’m so looking forward to Christmas in the new home. Halloween too. We didn’t go trick or treating but this year there are loads of houses so my daughter is going trick or treating for the first time this year in the estate. My life revolves around my little girl. This house is a forever home for her. She just started school, so it’s great to have that secure address for her. We won’t have to move again. I was so scared that I wouldn’t be able to find something if we had to leave our home before, especially with the price of rent now.

Shane

Before I was living in my mam’s, I had no place to go because I had broken up with my ex. I have two kids and I was living out of a room. With their clothes and mine, there was no room to put my own stuff. They had more clothes than me and they’d come stay with me during the week.

I got onto the council, and they put me on to CHI. I thought it was going nowhere but then I was offered this home. CHI got onto me and showed me the house. It was important to have somewhere for the kids. When I found out, I brought them up, they were saying ‘where are we going?’  and when I put the key in the door, seeing their faces, I almost cried. They saw me living inside a room for two years.

I was in the house the last day and my young one who is six is now best friends with another girl in the estate. She went on her first sleepover in the girl’s house, she was so excited! The kids are loving the estate. I have them a week on a week off in the summers, and during the year they stay quite a lot. My eldest is eight and he also has a few friends.

I’m from the area, so I know all of my neighbours and would be friends with a lot of them, I grew up with most of them!

There’s a back garden and everything. I’m happy to see my kids playing.

Jennifer

I have two daughters, one of whom lives with me full-time. I’m from a nearby town originally, but I’ve been living in Listowel for about 6 years.

I was living in the town centre before we moved here. I didn’t really like it, the place we were in was a little rough. There were lots of apartment blocks around the place whereas here there is so much more space between the homes. I love it here. I’m really happy. It’s lovely to see the kids playing. Mine are all grown up. It’s fun. My neighbours on either side are lovely. I’ll get to know more people over time, but I don’t mind my own space.

I’m happy with everything here. We’re here five months. All of the homes moved in at the same time more or less.

When I was nominated, I was so happy. I was waiting for six years, and I hadn’t had any offers, so when I got this I thought that it was amazing. It’s perfect because it’s outside of the town, but at the same time you can literally walk in in five minutes or so. Town can be very busy on Friday or Saturday nights so it’s great to come home to somewhere quiet and safe. Everyone who comes to visit comments on how beautiful the estate is. I think it really helps that there’s a green in the area.

I’m most looking forward to doing something with the garden, and maybe putting a shed in. I’ve a few bits and bobs to finish. I’m really into antiques, I think I was born in the wrong era. I don’t really like modern design that much! I like really old stuff.

I’m more or less settled. I’d say most people are at this stage.

‍