We are delighted to introduce a new and very meaningful version of our Spring Memorial Walk , one that not only honours your loved one but also supports our environment.

The “Remember Me Walk” is in partnership with RIP.ie Remembers along with their Ambassador Sile Seoige.

Simply register, tell us who you are walking in memory of, and complete your walk as an individual, family, or group at a location of your choosing throughout the month of March. Participants are asked to raise sponsorship funds for St. Francis Hospice, either online or using a sponsor card provided by the hospice.

For every registration, a square foot of native woodland will be planted, in memory of your loved one, a living tribute that will continue to grow for years to come.

Register online here and select St Francis Hospice as your chosen charity, or with our fundraising team at 01 832 7535 or 01 829 4000.

Sponsorship Cards, Tee Shirts and Dog Bandanas available from St. Francis Hospice upon request.

We look forward to opening a new 24-bed, single room in-patient unit to meet the needs of our growing North Dublin community.

Apologies for any inconvenience during our Raheny redevelopment project 2026-7.

Your cooperation with construction safety signage and parking guidelines is greatly appreciated.

If you have concerns, please contact rahenyredevelopment@sfh.ie.

The St Francis Hospice social work team recently launched its latest book to support children and families. “Something Has Changed” is aimed at helping children aged 6-12 when someone they love is seriously ill. The book comes with a guide for parents or adults who are supporting the children affected.

The books are available to read online by clicking the links below:

Something has changed – children

Something has changed – adults

The book and guide are also available to order free of charge from our online shop, with support from Amazon in Communities.

Read our Autumn/Winter issue of Hospice Connection to meet Joanna and find out how attending St Francis Hospice as an outpatient has improved her quality of life. Learn about the compassionate care received by a young man called Darragh, and his family’s heartwarming support of St Francis Hospice even in their time of grief. Find out about the supports provided by the hospice to children when someone in their family is ill.

Today we are proud to launch The Hospice Garden PODcast. Each episode shares stories and reflections from our hospice community — voices of care, connection, and compassion.

Listen wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us on Spotify.

St Francis Hospice is honoured to be a Finalist in the Employer Excellence Award category of this year’s Charity Excellence Awards.

As a finalist in this category, we are also eligible to win the coveted People’s Choice Award. This is decided by public vote.

Please show your support for St Francis Hospice by voting now!

25th June 2025

Brendan Gleeson joined us in our Raheny hospice today to launch our Buy a Brick campaign to support the building of a 24 single-bed in-patient unit. Brendan, whose parents both received care in St Francis Hospice Raheny, said, “I know how much of a game changer this new facility will be for the entire community of North Dublin. Brick by brick, we can make this happen.”

St Francis Hospice needs to raise €20million for the new facility, which will enable staff to care for 9,600 patients over the next 25 years. That is nearly 3,000 more than the existing in-patient unit would be able to accommodate. In total, the new in-patient unit will positively affect the lives of about 100,000 members of our community through the care it will provide for patients and their family members over the next 25 years.

Our Buy a Brick campaign invites people to contribute to the build by buying a brick for €25, €100, or €250 and then leaving their name or message on a Virtual Community Support Wall.

Brendan urged everyone to embrace the project. “I know first-hand how difficult end-of-life care can be for families. Hospice care is magical in terms of the respect, dignity and compassion it offers to people receiving palliative care. This new unit will provide the privacy, comfort, and highest quality facilities that people need and deserve.”

Construction at the site is due to begin next year and will also include an underground carpark and clinical support facilities with a pedestrian bridge linking it to the existing building.

The Buy a Brick campaign will run from today until the new in-patient unit is completely paid for. You can participate by visiting our Buy a Brick web page  or contacting the Fundraising Department at 01-8327535.

All in St Francis Hospice are saddened to hear of the death of Brother Kevin Crowley OFM Cap, RIP. His dedicated work to ease suffering and deprivation through the Capuchin Day Centre that he founded in 1969 is an inspiration to all. Br Kevin was also instrumental in the establishment of St Francis Hospice and served as founding Director when the Board of Directors was established in January 1990.

Br Kevin was resident in the Capuchin Friary in Raheny in the late 1980s, at a time when a site was being sought for a hospice to serve north Dublin. He and his fellow friars welcomed members of the Daughters of Charity and Irish Hospice Foundation when they made contact regarding their search.

Subsequently, the hospice service began operating out of a Porta-Cabin on the friary grounds. This fledgling community-based home care service provided the first specialist palliative care for the community of north Dublin. The friary’s orchard and gardens were then donated as land for the hospice to be built upon. This new hospice service was named St Francis Hospice in recognition of the generosity of the Capuchin order.

Prior to the completion of the hospice building, much of the vital fundraising activity and awareness-raising activities centred around the Capuchin friary. Volunteers from the community utilised the facilities offered by the friars to host coffee mornings, information sharing and other events. This helped to galvanise community support for the hospice.

Br Kevin was a staunch supporter of the hospice and helped establish a supportive relationship between the Capuchin Friary and St Francis Hospice which continues to this day. Capuchin friars serve as chaplains in both St Francis Hospice Raheny and Blanchardstown, and the Guardian of the Capuchin Friary in Raheny serves on the St Francis Hospice Board of Directors.

Pictured l-r: Sr Annette McKenna, Dr Mary Redmond, Sr Dorothy Kearon, Br Angelus O’Neill, Br Kevin Crowley, Sr Bernadette MacMahon at St Francis Hospice Raheny, official opening of the in-patient unit, 1996.

Brick by brick, together we can build the new 24-bed, single room in-patient unit for St Francis Hospice Raheny.

Buy a brick here and add your message to our virtual community supporter wall.