Our Lady's Hospice
Encyclopedia
Our Lady's Hospice is a Hospice
with its main centre in Harold's Cross, Dublin and a specialist palliative care
unit in Blackrock, County Dublin in Ireland
. The Hospice was founded and run by the Religious Sisters of Charity
, a congregation themselves founded by Mary Aikenhead
. They provide specialist care for people with a range of needs from rehabilitation to end of life care. Our Lady's Hospice is commonly misspelt Our Ladies Hospice. The "Our Lady" is referring to the Mary, mother of Jesus.
was born in Cork
and was a member of the Anglican Communion until the age of 15 when she converted to Roman Catholicism. During her life she founded 13 houses around Ireland, all working for the poor, the ignorant, the imprisoned, the sick, the dying and the deprived. She established St. Vincent's Hospital, in St. Stephen's Green
in Dublin in 1834, the first hospital in Ireland to be staffed and run by women. The hospital was the precursor of St. Vincent's University Hospital
in Elm Park, County Dublin.
in Dublin in response to the grinding poverty pervading the city. The Congregation's response to the needs of the people was inspired by their motto Caritas Christi Urget Nos, meaning The love of Christ empowers us.
. The Sisters renamed the house to "Our Lady's Mount" and Mary Aikenhead moved there in September 1845. Within days, 20 novices and 30 Sisters followed their Superior General to what had now become the Mother House and Novitiate of the congregation.
Research by Thomas Wrigley Grimsham in the early 1880s showed that the instance of TB in Ireland was rising compared to the rest of the UK where it was falling. He was able to show that from the 1860s to the 1880s there was a steady increase in the number of deaths of TB and it was also more prelevant in urban areas.
and which was part of the institutional complex of the House of Industry at that location. The second was St. Laurence's Hospital on Cork Street which opened in 1804.
Throughout the 20th century there were further developments including a new laundry, the rose garden and an upgraded Palliative Care and Rheumatology Rehabilitation facilities for the Hospice.
A new Education and Research Centre costing €6.5 million commenced construction in April 2006 and was officially opened by Mary Harney TD
in April 2008.
In December 2003, Our Lady's Hospice opened a satellite unit for specialist palliative care in Blackrock, Co. Dublin. It was provided through the generosity of the Louis and Zelie Martin Foundation.
Hospice
Hospice is a type of care and a philosophy of care which focuses on the palliation of a terminally ill patient's symptoms.In the United States and Canada:*Gentiva Health Services, national provider of hospice and home health services...
with its main centre in Harold's Cross, Dublin and a specialist palliative care
Palliative care
Palliative care is a specialized area of healthcare that focuses on relieving and preventing the suffering of patients...
unit in Blackrock, County Dublin in Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
. The Hospice was founded and run by the Religious Sisters of Charity
Religious Sisters of Charity
The Religious Sisters of Charity or Irish Sisters of Charity is a Roman Catholic religious order founded by Mary Aikenhead in Ireland in 1815.Its motto is "Caritas Christi urget nos" ....
, a congregation themselves founded by Mary Aikenhead
Mary Aikenhead
Mother Mary Frances Aikenhead was born in Daunt's Square off Grand Parade, Cork, Ireland. She was the founder of the Roman Catholic religious order the Religious Sisters of Charity and of St...
. They provide specialist care for people with a range of needs from rehabilitation to end of life care. Our Lady's Hospice is commonly misspelt Our Ladies Hospice. The "Our Lady" is referring to the Mary, mother of Jesus.
Mary Aikenhead
Mary Aikenhead (1787–1858)Mary Aikenhead
Mother Mary Frances Aikenhead was born in Daunt's Square off Grand Parade, Cork, Ireland. She was the founder of the Roman Catholic religious order the Religious Sisters of Charity and of St...
was born in Cork
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
and was a member of the Anglican Communion until the age of 15 when she converted to Roman Catholicism. During her life she founded 13 houses around Ireland, all working for the poor, the ignorant, the imprisoned, the sick, the dying and the deprived. She established St. Vincent's Hospital, in St. Stephen's Green
St. Stephen's Green
St Stephen's Green is a city centre public park in Dublin, Ireland. The park is adjacent to one of Dublin's main shopping streets, Grafton Street, and to a shopping centre named for it, while on its surrounding streets are the offices of a number of public bodies and the city terminus of one of...
in Dublin in 1834, the first hospital in Ireland to be staffed and run by women. The hospital was the precursor of St. Vincent's University Hospital
St. Vincent's University Hospital
St. Vincent's Hospital is a teaching hospital located at Elm Park, south of the city of Dublin, Ireland. It is at the junction of Merrion Road and Nutley Lane opposite the Merrion Centre and adjacent to Elm Park Golf Club.-History:St. Vincent's Hospital was founded in 1834 on St...
in Elm Park, County Dublin.
Religious Sisters of Charity
In 1815, Mary Aikenhead founded the Congregation of the Religious Sisters of CharityReligious Sisters of Charity
The Religious Sisters of Charity or Irish Sisters of Charity is a Roman Catholic religious order founded by Mary Aikenhead in Ireland in 1815.Its motto is "Caritas Christi urget nos" ....
in Dublin in response to the grinding poverty pervading the city. The Congregation's response to the needs of the people was inspired by their motto Caritas Christi Urget Nos, meaning The love of Christ empowers us.
Our Lady's Mount
In 1845, Mary Aikenhead, who owing to illness had been advised to move from the city to the country, bought "Greenmount", a late 18th century house on raised ground at Harold's Cross. She bought it from a family called Webb who were members of the Society of Friends (Quakers). A price was agreed with the Sisters and the Webb family kept their word despite a higher offer being received from the Mount Jerome Cemetery CompanyMount Jerome Cemetery
Mount Jerome Cemetery is situated in Harold's Cross on the south side of Dublin, Ireland. Since its foundation in 1836, it has witnessed over 300,000 burials...
. The Sisters renamed the house to "Our Lady's Mount" and Mary Aikenhead moved there in September 1845. Within days, 20 novices and 30 Sisters followed their Superior General to what had now become the Mother House and Novitiate of the congregation.
Infectious Diseases in Dublin
Around the time the hospice was founded, the incidence of TB in Dublin was twice that of anywhere in Ireland and even that of London and Glasgow. The incidences of typhoid and measles was triple that of London. By 1889 it was claimed that Dublin had the highest death rate of any Continent or North American city, where it was topped only by Calcutta. Dublin's high mortality rates were reasoned at the time to very sick rural people moving to Dublin in search of care, and thus contributing to Dublin's mortality rate.Research by Thomas Wrigley Grimsham in the early 1880s showed that the instance of TB in Ireland was rising compared to the rest of the UK where it was falling. He was able to show that from the 1860s to the 1880s there was a steady increase in the number of deaths of TB and it was also more prelevant in urban areas.
Establishing the Hospice
The Congregation established Our Lady's Hospice in Harold's Cross in 1879. There were just two hospitals at that time in Dublin which took fever patients. The first was the Hardwicke Fever Hospital, which opened in 1803 beside the Richmond Surgical Hospital, on Brunswick Street North in GrangegormanGrangegorman
Grangegorman Development Agency is an agency of the Government of Ireland charged with redevelopment of the Grangegorman Campus, formerly within the curtilage of St. Brendan's Hospital...
and which was part of the institutional complex of the House of Industry at that location. The second was St. Laurence's Hospital on Cork Street which opened in 1804.
Harolds Cross
New buildings were added including a night school for women and girls, a Sunday School and in 1851 a large day school was started.Throughout the 20th century there were further developments including a new laundry, the rose garden and an upgraded Palliative Care and Rheumatology Rehabilitation facilities for the Hospice.
A new Education and Research Centre costing €6.5 million commenced construction in April 2006 and was officially opened by Mary Harney TD
Mary Harney
Mary Harney is a former Irish politician. She served as Tánaiste from 1997–2006, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment from 1997–2004, and as Minister for Health and Children from 2004 to 2011...
in April 2008.
Blackrock (The Venerable Louis and Zelie Martin Hospice)
53.2990°N 6.1782°WIn December 2003, Our Lady's Hospice opened a satellite unit for specialist palliative care in Blackrock, Co. Dublin. It was provided through the generosity of the Louis and Zelie Martin Foundation.
Further reading
- Katherine Butler / Sisters of Charity (1980) We help them home: the story of Our Lady's Hospice, Harold's Cross, Dublin, 1879–1979
- T. M. Healy (2004) 125 years of caring in Dublin: Our Lady's Hospice, Harolds Cross 1879-2004
- Multitext Project in Irish History, University College Cork