Search
24 Oct 2025
Search
24 Oct 2025
Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content.
Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist.
If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter .
Support our mission and join our community now.
To continue reading this article, you can subscribe for as little as €0.50 per week which will also give you access to all of our premium content and archived articles!
Alternatively, you can pay €0.50 per article, capped at €1 per day.
Thank you for supporting Ireland's best local journalism!
RTE's Claire Byrne with Professor Humphrey O'Connor of Offaly Hospice
RTE presenter Claire Byrne has become patron of Offaly Hospice and is campaigning for the construction of a hospice in the Midlands.
laire paid a visit to Tullamore on Friday last to see at first-hand the proposed site for the Midlands Regional Hospice on the grounds of the regional hospital.
Claire's interest in hospice care stems from the excellent care her late father Tom received from Laois/Offaly Home Care team.
Their specialist help allowed Tom remain at home with good quality of life and symptom control and for that Claire and her family are very grateful.
Claire also recognises there are critical situations where patients cannot remain at home and the key gap in the service is the absence of a Specialist Hospice Unit. Claire will be a very good Patron and great to have her support.
Meanwhile architect plans for the regional hospice have been presented by Offaly Hospice to the HSE and show a 16 bed InPatient Hospice Unit is feasible on the site offered by the HSE.
The plans include all elements of an updated 2021 Design Brief put together by HSE Estates and Palliative Care Consultants, Dr. Michael Cushen and Dr. Pauline Kane.
The hospice project can now progress to detailed planning and planning permission.
The development comes hot of the heels of the announcement by the Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly of the allocation of €1 million to help fund the planning process.
Offaly Hospice will continue fundraising to build and commission the unit.
“We should always keep in mind the fact that the Regional Hospice will serve four counties and also patients from North Tipperary and East Galway, about 300000 people. This is a very important project for all of us,” said Professor Humphrey O'Connor, Chairman of Offaly Hospice.
Subscribe or register today to discover more from DonegalLive.ie
Buy the e-paper of the Donegal Democrat, Donegal People's Press, Donegal Post and Inish Times here for instant access to Donegal's premier news titles.
Keep up with the latest news from Donegal with our daily newsletter featuring the most important stories of the day delivered to your inbox every evening at 5pm.
This publication supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice of the Press Council. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at www.presscouncil.ie, Lo-call 1800 208 080 or email: info@presscouncil.ie.
