anyone know this building? Cashel nursesÂ’ home

Dont know much about the nurses home except that it hasnt been used in ages, is in bad state of repair and probably not a building that the town needs. its typical of the hospitals of the time but that isnt to say it merits much architectural value . As far as i know it hasnt been inhabited for over ten years anyhow. AS decline in vocations etc meant less nuns etc . young nurses were not enthused to live in the spare building which apparently was very cold and daMP. There were also some foreign doctors in it for a while. > i live in the town so i’ll take a trip up and see if i can get in maybe, or find some more info.. i dont think the building will be missed in the town though. its fairly mingin.

The quote in the article makes it sound like something interesting architecturally. Its just a fairly standard 1940s building then?

The nurses home in Galway Regional is a lovely building, were the two related?

I think it’s on the Dublin side of the town up a hill. You can’t see much of it but you can see that it’s built in international style.

not related to the galway one then.

Interesting from the http://www.oireachtas-debates.gov.ie

Colonel Ryan asked the Minister for Local Government and Public Health if he will state (a) if the construction of the county hospital, Cashel, County Tipperary, is yet completed, and, if so, on what date did completion take place; (b) what was the amount of moneys in excess of the contract price (£60,799) paid or payable to Farmer Bros., contractors; (c) if the work was carried out to the satisfaction of the Department’s inspectors, and, if so, [1481] what is the cause of the present delay in making the hospital available for patients.

Dr. Ward Dr. Ward

Dr. Ward: As regards (a) the county hospital at Cashel was substantially completed, except for the nurses’ home, in March, 1938.

As regards (b) the value of the work done is not available pending the final report of the quantity surveyor, and the amount payable in excess of the contract price cannot at present be stated. The sum of £60,799 is the contract price for the erection of the county hospital (exclusive of the nurses’ home), and according to the latest return of expenditure received from the local authority £54,420 in respect of the hospital contract had been paid, and a further amount of £1,000 had been certified for payment, the balance of the contract being shown as retention money.

As regards (c) certain defects in the structure are at present being remedied, and a final inspection by the Department’s inspector has been postponed until they are made good. The hospital can be opened to the reception of patients when the nurses’ home has been completed.

Colonel Ryan Colonel Ryan

Colonel Ryan: Arising out of that reply, is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that the back wall is so defective that it is almost impossible to remedy it? That, at any rate, is the general statement made in the country and I want to know if it is a fact that the back wall is defective from top to bottom and that it cannot be remedied?

Dr. Ward Dr. Ward

Dr. Ward: I am not aware that that is so.

From 1971:

3. Mr. Davern asked the Minister for Health if he is aware of the serious lack of accommodation for nurses at Cashel Hospital, County Tipperary; and, if so, what immediate steps he intends to take to rectify the matter.

Minister for Health (Mr. Childers) Erskine Hamilton Childers

Minister for Health (Mr. Childers): Certain proposals have been submitted to my Department for the provision of staff accommodation. It is necessary to consider carefully siting proposals in the light of any possible development at the county hospital. I am arranging that a meeting will be held soon between the officers of the local authority and officers of my Department to discuss the position in detail.

Mr. Davern Mr. Davern

Mr. Davern: Is the Minister aware of the immediate danger of the loss of staff from the county hospital through lack of suitable accommodation for these people and would he agree that this has for too long been overlooked by the Department?

Mr. Childers Mr. Childers

Mr. Childers: On the 5th May, 1970 the county council submitted some revised sketch for the extension of the nurses’ home. What we are trying to do is to consider a flatlet building which has been very successful in Sligo. If this is placed within the hospital grounds there will be a further area available within the hospital grounds possibly for some other development. We are discussing it as rapidly as we can.

The E8m contract for the first phase of long-awaited development works at Our Lady’s Hospital in Cashel will begin in the next few weeks and should be completed before the end of 2003.

The South Eastern Health Board announced last week that approval was finally received from the Department of Health and Children for the project to proceed. The tender documents were signed and sealed at the May meeting of the SEHB last week, where members welcomed the news.

Work will commence within the next few weeks and is expected to take approximately 16 months. The main contractors are PJ Walls Limited, Dublin. The new buildings will be carried out in a sequence that maintains the existing hospital services.

The Phase 1 development will consist of a 20 bed unit for elderly mentally infirm people and people with Alzheimer’s Disease. A 25 place day care centre and 12 independent living units and respite places for people with physical disabilities will also be included.

Other facilities set up will be a Day Hospital and day care centre and 12-place supervised accommodation for Mental Health Care services. Cashel will become the sector headquarters for Mental Health Care Services in the local area.

Phase 2 of the development will result in the existing three-storey hospital being upgraded and refurbished and the construction of a new extension to the main building.

Speaking at the signing of the contract last week, John Magner, Acting CEO of the SEHB said it was an important day for South Tipperary: “This development will improve existing services for the people of South Tipperary. Phase One will particularly target services for the elderly, people with physical disabilities and mental health services,” he said.

“We look forward, in time, to the approval to proceed with Phase 2 of the project, which will result in developments in geriatric rehabilitation, GP assessment and rehabilitation, palliative care, radiology, pharmacy, reception, administration and waiting areas.”

“The new extension to the main building will include a new hospital for the elderly and day care centre, new 15 bed convalescent unit and new outpatient department,” he said.

Mr Magner acknowledged the input of everyone involved in making the project a success: “I particularly wish to thank all local hospital management and staff for their ongoing support, especially the Project Manager, Eamonn Lonergan,” he added.

Also at the May meeting of the Board, the current condition of St Michael’s Psychiatric Unit in Clonmel was unacceptable, with paint peeling off the walls and no visitor facilities, a Board member said.

“South Tipperary is providing psychiatric facilities for South and North Tipperary in dismal conditions,” said Cllr John Coonan, the psychiatric nurses representative on the Board.

“There is huge pressure on staff in these unacceptable conditions. I want a commitment that priority will be given to South Tipperary patients in acute care and psychiatric care,” he said. Psychiatric facilities would be provided in Phase 2 of the development of St Joseph’s Hospital, but staff were not prepared to wait that long, he said.

Cllr Coonan acknowledged that the SEHB had already provided a ECT unit at St Michael’s after pressure from Board members in the past. Cllr Michael Deering said that the current dilapidated situation at St Michael’s had been going on for 30 years.

Acting CEO of the Board, Mr Magner said that the Board had committed funding for new facilities at St Michael’s to serve patients from South Tipperary only. A new psychiatric unit in Nenagh would be up and running later this year or early in 2003. Long-stay patients would then be relocated from Clonmel to Nenagh.

Mr Magner said that the Board had gone to tender for the upgrade work at St Michael’s and was considering tenders applications at the moment

taken from the nationalist http://www.clonmelnationalist.com .
took a drive up to the site today all thats left is a big pile of rubble. there was very little coverage in the local media.. everyone is pretty preoccupied with the proposed construction of an incinerator in rosegreen that is to dispose of the countries meat and bone waste and commercial waste. if into ecology check out the nationalist …its pretty serious issue for all of us.

The nurses home in Galway Regional is a lovely building, were the two related?”

Not really, Cashel is more international style, -another borrowing from Finland by V Kelly , whereas Cullens Nurses Home in Galway is more deco.

I think I have a photo of Cashel somewhere, which I will post if I can find it

The Cullen Nurses Home is shown on the Art Deco Ireland Website.