A CO. WEXFORD father has placed his family’s three-bedroom country cottage in an online raffle as they seek to begin a new life closer to Dublin.

Steve Rooney, 43, says serious health problems and the demands of caring for his four young daughters helped persuade the family to leave the home, which lies around 10km from Enniscorthy and approximately 15 minutes from the coast.

The furnished cottage stands on about half an acre and comes with a large garden and a mobile home. Rooney says around €90,000 has been spent on renovations in recent years, including work on the kitchen, bathrooms and flooring.

Furniture and appliances are also included, among them a television, fridge-freezer, dishwasher, beds, garden furniture and lawnmower.

Rooney said the decision to part with the property had been difficult. He has ulcerative colitis and says complications arising from the condition have left him unable to work.

His wife, Clora, works in Dublin during the week, while he remains at the family home in Wexford caring for their daughters and managing his health problems.

The couple now hope to move closer to Dublin so that the family can spend more time together.

Rooney is also studying psychology from home and hopes eventually to use his qualification to work for himself and assist other people.

The property has been placed on a third-party competition website, with the number of paid entries capped at 120,000. Tickets are advertised at £9, approximately €10, although the competition remains subject to the promoter’s full terms and eligibility conditions.

Rooney says five per cent of ticket revenue will be donated to CCLG: The Children and Young People’s Cancer Association, which is based in Leicester.

He said his own experience of serious illness had influenced his choice of cause. According to Rooney, the proposed donation is intended to help the charity with transport and fuel costs associated with supporting families affected by childhood cancer.

The family believes the property could serve as a permanent home or holiday property. Rooney said he hoped the competition would allow them to relocate closer to Dublin and make a fresh start after a difficult period.