Farming as therapy is the model that will be used at Kyrie Farm, a mental health facility scheduled to open near Ardclough, Co. Kildare. in early 2027.

Covering 57ac, Kyrie Farm is the vision of John and Vicky McKeon, who lost their eldest son, Kieran, to suicide in March 2013 when he was 18.

They recalled how their sporty, energetic son was hit by a virus when he was 12, which led to chronic fatigue and depression over several years.

Kyrie Farm is based on the model of Gould Farm in the US. It will accommodate up to 40 people for three to six months at a time, with eight houses, a community building for eating, socialising and therapy and a small administration building.

Total capital costs are expected to come in at about €30 million and fundraising is currently taking place, seeking support from philanthropists, the public and the government.

"Kieran struggled with his mental health for six years. He had all the help the system in Ireland could offer. However, the system, then and now, is very focused on medication," John McKeon said.

Neither home nor St. John of God's were the right place for Kieran, who was constantly suicidal, his father explained.

"The aim of Kyrie Farm is to have a more recovery-orientated approach that puts the person at the centre of their recovery, supporting them with a broader approach, helping to build structure, meaning and hope back into their lives.

"The farm is not an acute setting. It is for people leaving a psychiatric hospital but who are not ready for home life," John added. 

"The ingredients at Kyrie Farm for recovery are participating in the community; working and living in nature; meaningful participation; professional support and therapy; and time.

"There will be a strong peer support ingredient, so people who have been there in challenging mental health situations and have come through will help show the way, and empathetically support others."

Taking time out off his work, McKeon studied psychology at Trinity College Dublin. After walking the Camino Way with Vicky, he decided to set up a farm similar to Gould Farm in Ireland.

While he doesn't have any farming experience, Vicky is the daughter of a dairy farmer. A feasibility study was carried out which resulted in a huge amount of support.

A board of directors was formed, the charity set up, the farm purchased, and a design team established.

The farm hired a horticulturist, Nathan Jackson, to get the farm up and running, and teams of volunteers help out with the running of an organic vegetable box scheme.

The plan is to have sheep, pigs and chickens on the farm, and possibly horses for equine therapy.

Now ready to tender, Kyrie Farm has had Health Service Executive (HSE) representatives visit the site.

In collaboration with Maynooth University, Kyrie Farm hosted a conference showcasing the evidence base for nature-based, community, and therapeutic farm therapies.

McKeon noted that while staying in Kyrie Farm will be expensive due to professional staff costs, he hopes the service will be funded by the HSE and private health insurance.

The facility will take 18 months to build from when the funds are raised, so the opening date is estimated to be early 2027.