The History of Don Bosco Care

Don Bosco Care in Dublin
Don Bosco care was founded in 1978 under the stewardship of the Salesian priest Fr Val Collier in response to the need for a care and accommodation service to house teenagers who were unable to live with their families. Don Bosco Care first began with one house which could only accommodate up to 16 young people. In 1985 Don Bosco Care opened a second house on the Nephin Road as it became clear an expansion of our services was needed. As the demand for our services grew more houses opened their doors to young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. Today with our head office located on the Clontarf Rd Dublin our original goals to provide care and accommodation for vulnerable young people still remains our focus.

History of Don Bosco
St. Don Bosco the founder of the Salesian order was concerned at the huge volume of troubled youths in the Italian city of Turin. It was this concern that encouraged him to set up an oratory for young people. In reality the oratory founded by St Don Bosco was an early form of youth club. Education was a key component of St Don Bosco’s vison to break the cycle of poverty among young people. He held the view that schooling led the path to personal betterment and this had knock on benefits for wider society. Although Don Bosco passed away in 1885 it is his outlook and determination that drives the organisation today. The Salesian Order founded by St Don Bosco came to Ireland in the year 1919. Today the mission to Ireland provides a number of services throughout the country. These services include schools, care homes, agricultural education, chaplaincy, spirituality centres, retreats, drug rehabilitation and non-formal education. The main focus for Salesians in Ireland or any other country is to respond to young people and their needs. They try and respond in the same pastoral and effective way as St Don Bosco used when he founded the order. It is the hope of the Salesian order that this approach will help in the holistic development of the young person and their families.
You can get in touch with Don Bosco Care online at www.donboscocare.ie, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/donboscocare or by emailing fundraising@donboscocare.ie. They can be reached over the phone by calling
01 8336009, or via post or in person at 12 Clontarf Road, Clontarf, Dublin 3.