What is "barretstown"

Barretstown is a not for profit camp for children with cancer and other serious illnesses located at Barretstown Castle, Ballymore Eustace, Co. Kildare, in Ireland. It was founded in 1994 by Hollywood actor Paul Newman and is a member of the SeriousFun Children's Network of camps across the world.

The children, aged from seven to 17, come from Ireland and more than twenty other European countries to take part in the wide range of activities the camp provides such as arts and crafts, canoeing and outdoor adventure. After successfully overcoming the initial challenge of these activities, the children stop seeing themselves as ‘sick kids’ and begin to regain their own inner strength, confidence and self-esteem. This process is known as ‘Therapeutic Recreation'.