No happy ending in Tuam creche saga

Emotional goodbyes

Eyes were filled with tears and hearts were full of gratitude as goodbyes were exchanged between the parents and owners of Tuam’s Happily Ever After creche last Friday evening.

One of Tuam’s biggest childcare services and the only centre providing pre-school education in Irish, was caring for 97 children from 72 families before it had to close its doors for the last time on October 31.

“It feels like we lost a limb, that’s how devastating this is,” said Amy Newell, who came with her husband Mike to pick up their son.

“The two girls (owners of the creche) have been amazing to our child. They have been like an extension of the family and not just a creche,” she added.

The closure followed on from a notice issued by the Fire Safety Officer earlier in October regarding safety concerns.

Mother of two boys, Saoirse Kelly was trying hard to stay calm as she entered the facility with her mother and husband.

She told The Tuam Herald that her older son had been going there for almost six years and the care provided by the owners and staff was unbelievable.

“My son has lots of food allergies and it took a long time to figure that out with the owners here. Now we will have to start all over again at a new place.

“It doesn’t make sense why they would not do anything to save it,” she exclaimed.

Saoirse is a full-time worker who has not been able to find another creche for her sons.

“My mother has decided to step up and help us out since there are no other services available at the moment.

“This closure has not only impacted one or two generations but it’s going further back and now the grandparents’ lives are also impacted along with the places where the parents are working,” she added.

Children dressed up for Halloween had big smiles on their faces as they received sweets and treats, completely unaware what was happening around them.

“My son knows the creche is closing, but I don’t think he realises the implications. He will miss it once he understands that he won’t be able to meet them all again,” said Aonghus McGinn, who moved to Tuam from the UK just a year ago.

“We were lucky to find this creche as they accommodated our move and helped Setanta (5) settle down and make friends in a new place,” he added.

For eight years, Happily Ever After creche in Tuam operated from the former Community Centre building owned by the Tuam Parish Council.

The notice regarding safety concerns was issued after the building owners decided not to proceed with the essential fire safety works that were needed to be carried out on the building.

In a statement released by the parish council, the parish had engaged in procedures to get the work done over the last two years.

However, a quote from builders estimated the cost of works at €1.2 million, which they said they couldn’t afford.

The impending closure has resulted in a lot of frustration and anger among parents who felt let down by the Tuam Parish Council.

“It’s awful that 97 kids are being displaced from a creche, purely because the parish council don’t see it as a worthwhile investment for the future of kids in Tuam,” claimed Niamh Joyce Peters, who will now have to make an extra journey of at least 20 kms a day to get her child to a creche and back.

A secondary school teacher, Niamh told The Tuam Herald that after losing such an "amazing" service, there is nothing that is tying them to Tuam and she might think about moving somewhere else.

“It’s a strange ending for something that was here for seven years and it’s even more disgraceful to now have an empty building standing in the middle of the town,” she said.

Along with the 97 children and 72 families, the closure has also led to job losses for the 19 staff working there.

“It’s a double loss for me as I have not only lost childcare but my job as well,” said Rebecca Gormley, who joined the facility a few months ago.

“It’s heartbreaking to see it gone as it’s not just a business but a second home for all children who were attending the creche,” she added.

Rebecca has not found another place for her daughter yet and has been given a nearest start date of 2027 before she could start pre-school.

Children have lost their place on Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) schemes while those availing of the Naíonra (Irish language playgroup) service might not be able to find the service elsewhere.

Parents also praised a carefully prepared goodbye gift by chef Eddie Mcgrath who had prepared a personalised recipe card for parents providing the recipe of the dishes loved by each child at the creche.

“It’s a huge loss for everyone and I don’t think any other place will live up to the standard that was being provided here,” said Lynne Gilmore, mother of Sean (9) and Kai (23 months).

“It’s more of the emotional side as the owners and staff don’t just mind the kids but they are like family. It’s difficult to say goodbye,” said Lucy Curly, who is now looking for a place for her son who was attending the Naíonra.

Owners of the creche Sara Walsh and Claire McGrath, who declined to speak directly, took to social media to share their feelings about their last day.

They stated that their story started with Once Upon A Time in 2017 and ended with Happily Ever After in 2025.

“It’s certainly the end of something special that we will be forever proud of. We really were all like family. We’re truly devastated it’s all come to an end.”

They thanked every child, staff and parent for being a part of their story and wished them the best for the next chapter of their lives.

The Tuam Parish Council has not made any further comment. Responding to a query from The Tuam Herald, Parish Administrator Fr Pat Farragher again clarified that the parish has no immediate plans for the Community Centre building, as the cost of bringing it into compliance with fire regulations are prohibitive.