Health & Wellbeing

Hospitals and innovative healthcare have been an essential, if under-recognised feature of The Liberties for centuries. Ireland’s oldest mental health hospital – St Patrick’s  – was founded by Dean Jonathan Swift in 1746 and continues to serve the community to this day. One of the city’s first maternity or lying-in hospitals was founded at The Coombe in 1826, and now located on Cork Street. While the country’s largest teaching hospital  – St James’s – has developed from an original infirmary to become Ireland’s busiest medical and research centre.

Now undergoing an ambitious transformation of its campus, St James’ Hospital sees over 300,000 visits each year and is also a major economic driver for The Liberties.  Innovative public health programmes, major new developments such as the Children’s Hospital Ireland, the potential relocation of the The Coombe Maternity Hospital, and expanding support businesses now see the hospital at the centre of a new Healthcare & Well-being Quarter in the heart of the city. The hospital is embracing the opportunities offered by connected heathcare and open data, working with partners in The Liberties including enterprise clusters and third level institutes to realise the SmartD8 Smart City District.

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