Pride of Place judges hear of ‘life-changing’ Esker House work

By Rebekah O'Reilly

Judges for the national Pride of Place awards were last week told of the profound impact made by Athlone-based domestic violence organisation Esker House.

The local support service is representing Westmeath as a nominee for this year's IPB Pride of Place awards, having been nominated by the county council for the honour.

The Pride of Place gala awards ceremony will take place in Dublin in late October. The awards were established to promote and celebrate excellence in community development, and to recognise the efforts of individuals and groups who work tirelessly to make their local neighbourhoods better places in which to live, work and socialise.

When Pride of Place judges visited Esker House's offices on Mardyke Street last Wednesday a group of distinguished guests, including Mayor of the Athlone Moate Municipal District, Cllr Liam McDaniel, gathered for a morning honouring the service's accomplishments.

To begin the session, Niamh Boyd invited Pride of Place judge Alison Dowling to light a candle representing “hope, remembrance, and our commitment to ending gender-based violence”.

Speaking at the event, Deputy Mayor of Athlone-Moate Municipal District Cllr Frankie Keena noted the special connection he has to Esker House as a councillor and a member of the voluntary Board of Management of Athlone Community Services Council.

"Over the years, I have seen first-hand the life-changing impact of the Esker House service and have supported women in accessing the safety, support, and advocacy available here," said Cllr Keena.

"I am also proud to be a Purple Hand Champion and a strong advocate for ending gender-based violence. As a male ally, I believe men have a vital role to play in challenging violence, promoting respect, and supporting women and children.

"Standing up against gender-based violence is not just a women’s issue; it is a community issue, and one that requires all of us to take responsibility."

He described Esker House’s nomination for the Pride of Place Awards as "a cultural statement" at a time when the online realm is shaping polarising views.

"In a time when the online 'manosphere' is growing louder, and misogynistic narratives are increasingly shaping public discourse, this recognition sends a clear message: communities value safety, dignity, and equality for women," said Cllr Keena.

“Domestic abuse services rarely receive public awards. Their work is quiet, relentless, and often carried out in the shadows of stigma, fear, and societal discomfort.

"So when a service like Esker House is publicly celebrated, it signals something important, that the community refuses to let misogyny define its values."

Cllr Keena added that the award nomination was "a tribute to every woman who has walked through Esker House’s doors, and a reminder to perpetrators that their behaviour is rejected, not excused, by the society around them".

The Head of Services at Esker House, Deirdre Berry, highlighted the changes to the service in recent years, while reflecting on her own 19 years with the organisation.

"I’ve been here for the last 19 years, so it seems like a long time, and there’s been a lot of changes throughout those years," she said. "In fact, there’s been great developments. We’ve also had sad moments where we’ve had to deal with the reality of what our job and our work brings as well.

"But I work with an amazing team of women and generally have a really tight, supportive environment. I think anybody on the team would attest to that."

In 2016, Esker House received funding for a Community Support and Court Service, in which a member would accompany a domestic violence survivor to court.

The organisation began its Child and Youth Service in 2021, before joining the Empower Kids Project in 2024 which gave children the opportunity to share their experiences of domestic violence.

In 2022, Esker House opened their community office in Athlone. This was followed by the establishment of the Training and Community Engagement Programme in 2023, and the development of the Purple Hand Champion initiative to ensure safe spaces for women experiencing domestic violence.

"What we want to showcase is not just the work that happens in here, but what happens outside the door, how that work impacts the community and how the community changes," she said.

She said the motivation behind the organisation’s work was seeing the difference it makes in women’s and children’s lives.

"A lot of people ask us, 'How do you work in this for so long?' The joy that women show when they come to the service and things change in their lives, when their children start connecting with them again, when they can go to school again, or they can go to work again, that’s what keeps us here."

In 2025, the service expanded to all of Westmeath, following the closure of a separate refuge in Mullingar.

By 2028, the organisation intends to open a brand-new 12-unit purpose-built refuge and support services building in Athlone.

Deirdre said the development represents another significant step in the organisation’s journey, with the new facility designed to provide greater independence, accessibility and support for women and children.

She also noted positive national changes taking place in the domestic violence realm, including five-day domestic violence leave brought in late in 2023.

'Operation Encompass' is also set to be rolled out in the Republic of Ireland after already having been implemented in Northern Ireland.

The initiative involves a notification process whereby An Garda Síochána will inform a child’s school within 24 hours of attending a domestic violence incident at the child’s home.

This is to ensure that designated school staff are aware that a child has experienced a violent and traumatic incident and can therefore provide the child with additional care and support.

Deirdre stressed that lasting change requires more than legislation and services, and that communities must play their part.

"Violence is not somebody else’s problem. It is a community issue," she said.

"Research internationally suggests that domestic abuse and gender-based violence can be tackled and reduced when communities take a stand."

Pride of Place judge Tim Dowling credited Westmeath County Council for its influence on the awards, which have been running for the past 24 years.

Referencing videos shared throughout the presentation, including one of comments by children who have passed through the doors of Esker House, as well as video testimonials from other groups, Tim said the footage showed the organisation’s reach in the community.

"The whole purpose of Pride of Place is to acknowledge the work in the community. It’s about how people treat other people with respect," he said.

Asked about the increase in activity at Esker House in recent years, Deirdre Berry informed Tim that the organisation has recently attracted additional funding after the formation of Cuan, Ireland’s statutory agency dedicated to tackling and reducing domestic, sexual, and gender-based violence.

Athlone Community Services Council’s Head of Service Grace Naughton noted that Esker House has received roughly €50,000 per annum through donations and fundraising over the last five years. This goes towards funding hotels, food, and other emergency needs for women accessing services.

When asked about volunteering opportunities in Esker House, Deirdre noted this was difficult due to the nature of the work being done by the organisation.

"We’re working with trauma, and Ireland is such a small country, how would we keep confidentiality? We do try to integrate as much as we can without direct access to the refuge," she said.