Tag Archives: Larry De Cléir

PARTEEN native, Larry De Cleir is a man of many parts. A psychotherapist, who spent two decades in the Irish army, he is also a talented singer-songwriter, whose work ranges from personal reflections to commentary on politics and society. With a CV like that, his retirement is probably set to be a fairly active one. The role of retiree is one that Larry is still getting used to having signed off, just last week, after a 13-and-a-half year stint as Project Leader with Bedford Row, an initiative that supports prisoners and families in Clare and Limerick. “I was involved with the project for a long time before that,” he explains. “I was counselling and getting clients from the project. Before that, again, I was involved, in very early days meeting workers with the Hospitality Centre in Limerick Prison, where the project started up. I was aworking with South Hill Outreach and we had a step-down [service] going on, so I …

PRISONERS being released during the Covid-19 crisis are facing “a completely alien world,” according to representatives of a support group in Clare. The nature of the lockdown, combined with the new public health guidelines, mean huge changes to society and additional hurdles for those trying to reintegrate after serving a custodial sentence. Patrick Talty, who is a Project Worker with the Clare branch of Bedford Row, which supports those detained at Limerick Prison and their families, said getting one’s life back on track has become far more difficult than in pre-Covid times. “Even someone who may have served a short sentence of three or four months will find that the world has changed dramatically,” Mr Talty said. “When it comes to accessing services like housing and medical care, the normal routes have changed. For someone who is homeless after coming out of prison, the experience is extremely frustrating and scary That’s not to criticise, in any way, those who provide …