A controversial rehabilitation centre in Athlone is to close due to a lack of funds.
The Marist Rehabilitation Centre, beside the Marist College secondary school, offered treatment programmes to men with drink or drugs problems.
In a statement, the trustees of the Marist Brothers said they regretted the closure of the centre.
They said the closure was forced upon the order due to ongoing lack of funding to meet the current expenditure costs of managing the centre.
It will be phased out over the coming weeks.
A number of government agencies are understood to have been funding it.
Brother Frank McGovern, its founder, said it was "a loss" to the town.
"The centre had to close simply because we haven't enough money to keep it going.
"I have been working here for the last 25 years, and down those years we've helped literally hundreds of people, and we've hundreds of people living sober lives as a result of the programme," he said.