Royal City of Dublin Hospital

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The Royal City of Dublin Hospital (Irish: Ospidéal Ríoga Chathair Bhaile Átha Cliath) was a health facility on Baggot Street, Dublin, Ireland. The building from which the hospital operated, which was vacant as of early 2024, is a protected structure.

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Baggotrath Castle

Baggotrath Castle, or Baggotsrath Castle, was a castle situated at present-day Baggot Street in Dublin city centre. It was built in the late thirteenth century by the Bagod family, for whom it was named. For much of its history, it was owned by the Fitzwilliam family. During the English Civil War, possession of the castle, which was described as "the strongest fortress near Dublin", was a matter of great importance to both sides in the conflict, and it was largely destroyed during the siege of Dublin in 1649, on the eve of the Battle of Rathmines. The ruins of the castle remained on the site until the early nineteenth century when Dublin Corporation demolished what was left of it. No trace of it survives today, but it probably stood at present-day 44-46 Upper Baggot Street, facing Waterloo Road.

Castle Historic Site

72 m

Episcopal Chapel and Asylum for Penitent Females, Baggot Street, Dublin

Episcopal Chapel and Asylum for Penitent Females, was Protestant "Magdalene" asylum for "fallen women" and an Episcopal Chapel on Upper Baggot Street in Dublin. It was located on the corner of Baggot Street Upper and Waterloo Road in Dublin. The asylum could accommodate 50 penitent women and the chapel could accommodate 1,200 worshipers, it was run by a committee of benevolent donors. It was built between 1832 and 1835, it opened in 1835 and closed in 1945. In 1858 a trust was set up for Episcopal Chapel and Asylum for Penitent Females Upper Baggot St., Dublin. This Asylum was described as being one of the first activities of the Church of Ireland's, Dublin City Mission. It could accommodate 30 women. The building was demolished and offices and retail outlets, built on the site. The Very Rev. Hamilton Verschoyle, future Bishop of Kilmore, Elphin and Ardagh, served as a chaplain in Baggot Street. Rev. J Sandford, served as Assistant Chaplain as did Rev. J. J. Frew. Rev. Ambrose Wellesley Leet, D.D. served as Chaplain.

Church Historic Site

Baggot Street

Baggot Street is a street in Dublin, Ireland. The street runs from Merrion Row to the northwestern end of Pembroke Road. It crosses the Grand Canal near Haddington Road. It is divided into two sections: Lower Baggot Street - between Merrion Row and the Grand Canal. It was called Gallows Road in the 18th century. Upper Baggot Street - south of the Grand Canal to the junction with Eastmoreland Place, where it continues as Pembroke Road.

Landmark Settlement

139 m

Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation

The Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation was a judicial commission of investigation, established in 2015 by the Irish government to investigate deaths and misconduct during the 20th century in mother and baby homes—institutions, most run by Catholic religious nuns, where unwed women were sent to deliver their babies. It was set up following statements that the bodies of up to 800 babies and children may have been interred in an unmarked mass grave in the Bon Secours Mother and Baby Home, located in Tuam, County Galway. Its remit additionally covered investigation into the records of and the practices at an additional thirteen Mother and Baby Homes. The members of the three-person Commission were Judge Yvonne Murphy, Dr William Duncan and Professor Mary E. Daly. Originally scheduled to issue its final report by February 2018, the Commission was granted a series of extensions. The final report was published on 12 January 2021, and detailed that around 9,000 children, one in seven of those born in the 18 institutions covered by the Commission's terms of reference, had died in them between 1922 and 1998, double the rate of infant mortality in the general population. The following day, Taoiseach Micheál Martin made a formal apology to survivors on behalf of the state. The Commission was dissolved on 28 February 2021.

Government Historic Site

St Mary's Church, Haddington Road, Dublin

Church

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Opening and development

The hospital was first established by a group of doctors from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland as the Baggot Street Hospital in 1832. In the early years of the hospital, attending consultant surgeons included the anatomist John Houston. The hospital was extended and the current façade of red brick and terracotta tiles was added, based on the designs of Albert Edward Murray, in 1893. It was renamed the Royal City of Dublin Hospital following a visit by Princess Alexandra in 1900.

Closure

After services were transferred to St. James's Hospital, the hospital closed in 1986. Although part of the building continued to be used for community services and some clinics, the Health Service Executive (HSE) closed these services in 2019. While, in 2023, it was proposed that part of the building be used for the provision of primary care services, as of 2024 the building remained vacant. Though, as of April 2024, the HSE was reputedly still considering "using the Haddington Road side of the hospital site as the location for a new primary care centre", the remainder of the property was in poor condition and reportedly unsuitable for refurbishment for healthcare use. At that time, the HSE stated that the property was included on its schedule of vacant properties and "State register for disposal". The building was sold in late 2025, reportedly to the owners of the neighbouring Dylan Hotel.