Studies show that one in 65 people in Ireland are autistic and 85% of people with autism are under or unemployed.
The Rainbow Club is a charity that provides a supportive sanctuary for families with autistic children and teenagers in the heart of the community in Mahon, Cork city.
Karen and Jon O'Mahony’s lives were turned upside down when they found out their son, Seán, had autism.
As a family, they discovered there were little and limited supports available to them. The impact of having a child with autism really took its toll when Jon had to give up his job to take care of Seán, as Karen couldn’t physically manage him.
The couple went on to have another son Stephen, who was also diagnosed with autism.
Now caring for two sons with autism, as well as two other children, the couple decided to take matters into their own hands and founded The Rainbow Club.
In 2015 supported by well-wishers, the couple amassed a small budget of €627, which enabled them to purchase insurance and room hire for three months. The club started out with a small band of nine volunteers and 22 children.
Seven years on, there are 62 volunteers, a staff of 28 and one thousand families using the services every week, today the club offers 21 different activities and interventions.
Molly O'Mahony, older sister to Stephen and Sean, started a siblings’ club in 2020, prompted by her experiences of having brothers with autism.
As a child growing up struggling with her brothers’ diagnosis she found "there were really no supports out there for me. So, I decided to develop this programme which directly targets the needs of siblings as well - whilst also supporting the child with autism".
Her sixteen year old brother Seán now works at the club’s Café and has branded himself 'The Autistic Baker'.
As the scope of the club expands, so too does the reputation of the club which is now facilitating families from beyond the boundaries of Cork City and County. The couple hope that the template for the Rainbow Club can be replicated in other parts of the country.
Still housed in the Mahon Community Centre and in a number of pre-fabs, Karen and Jon are now looking for a more permanent residence for The Rainbow Club, but Cork is where their heart is.
"We want Mahon to be our home. Because Mahon is where it started. The Mahon area and the people in the community are the people who accepted us and helped us in creating this wonderful place," says Karen.
- Written by Ann Marie O'Callaghan.
