Our History
In 1988 Dr. Mary Redmond identified a need for a hospice on the north side of Dublin city. She asked the Daughters of Charity for help in setting up a community palliative care (home care) service for this area. Over the years, numerous individuals, groups and organisations have provided the dedication and financial support to enable St Francis Hospice to develop a comprehensive specialist palliative care service for North Dublin city, county and surrounding counties.
The Community Palliative Care team were originally based in a portacabin on the grounds of the Capuchin Friary in Raheny. The team provided advice and support to patients and families in their own homes. The Capuchin Friars donated the site of their monastery garden and St Francis Hospice Raheny was built in phases.
In 1991, office and meeting space for the Community Palliative Care team opened, followed by a purpose built Day Care centre. The Day Care service began providing patients with a place to come for support and advice from the multidisciplinary team and to receive complementary therapies. In 1995, the second phase, St Anne’s In-Patient Unit (19 beds), was completed.
Education is an important way of extending the palliative care philosophy and approach to other healthcare settings, such as hospitals and nursing homes. An Education Department was formed in 1997 in order to develop courses and workshops for staff of other healthcare institutions, as well as staff of the Hospice.
In 1999, St Francis Hospice Dublin purchased the adjoining Walmer Villa. Further expansion took place in 2002, when a new phase of building was completed, providing enhanced facilities for the provision of day care, bereavement counselling and an education centre.
The need for a hospice to be provided for the people of Dublin North West was identified a number of years later. Blanchardstown was recognised as an ideal location from which to serve the needs of Dublin North West. The Government allocated a 6.8 acre site on the Abbotstown lands for the building of the hospice. The construction works were completed in April 2011.
The Community Palliative Care Team looking after the western half of St Francis Hospice’s catchment area began using the new Blanchardstown hospice as their base in May 2011. Shortly after, the Hospice Day Care and Outpatients Service began operating in Blanchardstown. In September 2014, the first patients were admitted to the 24-bed in-patient unit.
St Francis Hospice Dublin Today
Together, St Francis Hospice Raheny and Blanchardstown provide specialist palliative care services to the people of North Dublin city, county and surrounding counties with life limiting illnesses. We are a voluntary organisation under the care of the Daughters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul. All of the services are provided free of charge to patients and their families. Today St Francis Hospice Dublin plays a leadership role in shaping palliative care nationally, working in partnership to advance policy, education, research and service innovation.
