Kilbehenny Community Raises €108,000 to Give Formerly Homeless Man Cian Murtagh a Home of His Own
A small rural community on the Limerick-Cork border has done what the state could not — raising over €108,000 to buy and renovate a derelict 200-year-old cottage for Cian Murtagh, a local man who had spent years without a permanent home, in a story that has moved Ireland and drawn national media attention.
Background
Kilbehenny is a village of fewer than 300 people, straddling the county boundary between Limerick and Cork in the shadow of the Galtee Mountains. Like many rural Irish communities, it has watched its population decline over decades, its young people drawn to cities by work and opportunity. Yet when one of its own found himself without a home, the village responded with a collective determination that has become a national talking point.
Cian Murtagh's story is one that resonates deeply in a country grappling with a housing crisis that has left tens of thousands without secure accommodation. A quiet, private man with deep roots in the area, Cian had been living in precarious circumstances for a number of years, a situation that troubled his neighbours and friends in Kilbehenny. The community's response was not to wait for government intervention but to act directly and decisively.
The project began when local activist Maeve O'Brien launched a GoFundMe campaign that quickly captured the imagination of people far beyond the village. Donations flooded in from across Ireland and from the diaspora, with the campaign eventually raising over €108,000 — enough to purchase a derelict stone cottage in Sligo and fund a comprehensive renovation that would make it a proper home.
Key Developments
The renovation of the 200-year-old cottage has been a community effort in the truest sense. Professional builders have worked alongside volunteers to transform a structure that lacked basic utilities into a warm, habitable home. The work has included installing running water and electricity for the first time in the building's history, as well as structural repairs, insulation, and interior fitting.
The project has been documented by RTÉ's Build Your Own Home series, bringing Cian's story to a national audience and inspiring similar community-led initiatives elsewhere. The filming, which has continued through 2026, has captured both the practical challenges of the renovation and the emotional journey of a man watching a community come together on his behalf.
Maeve O'Brien, who spearheaded the GoFundMe campaign, reflected on the project's deeper significance: 'It was a tiny community doing Goliath work. It gave people that sense of empowerment.' Her words capture something important about the project — it is not simply a housing story but a story about what communities can achieve when they refuse to accept that problems are too large to solve.
The renovation is now nearing completion, with Cian expected to move into his new home in the coming weeks. The cottage, once a crumbling ruin, has been transformed into a modest but comfortable dwelling that will give him the security and stability he has lacked for years.
Why It Matters
Ireland's housing crisis has generated enormous political debate, with arguments about planning reform, social housing targets, and government policy dominating the national conversation. What the Kilbehenny project demonstrates is that alongside the systemic failures, there remains a powerful tradition of community solidarity that can produce tangible results. This is the third significant community-led housing initiative to receive national attention in 2026, following similar projects in Roscommon and Donegal, suggesting a growing grassroots movement that refuses to wait for top-down solutions. Unlike government housing schemes, which can take years to deliver, the Kilbehenny project moved from idea to near-completion in under eighteen months — a pace that reflects both the urgency of the need and the power of community motivation. The story has also prompted a broader conversation about the role of derelict properties in addressing Ireland's housing shortage, with over 160,000 vacant homes identified in the most recent census.
Local Impact
The impact of the project extends beyond Cian Murtagh's individual circumstances. In Kilbehenny itself, the campaign has reinvigorated a sense of community identity and purpose, with local residents reporting a renewed pride in their village. The GoFundMe campaign attracted donations from Irish communities in Boston, London, Sydney, and New York, connecting the diaspora to a story of home that resonated across generations. The RTÉ documentary has brought significant attention to the village, with tourism inquiries increasing and local businesses reporting a modest but welcome uptick in visitors curious to see the community that made national headlines. Local GAA club Kilbehenny-Elton has been among the organisations that rallied behind the project, reflecting the club's traditional role as a community anchor in rural Ireland.
What's Next
The final stages of the renovation are expected to be completed within the next fortnight, with Cian Murtagh moving into his new home before the end of July. RTÉ's Build Your Own Home will broadcast the concluding episode of the Kilbehenny story later this summer, with a transmission date to be confirmed. Maeve O'Brien has indicated that any surplus funds from the GoFundMe campaign will be directed towards a community fund to support other vulnerable residents in the area. The project has also attracted the attention of the Department of Housing, with officials reportedly examining the model as a potential template for community-led housing initiatives in rural areas.
