Construction of Ireland’s first children’s hospice outside Dublin has moved closer after the sod was turned at the Sunflower Children’s Hospice site in Castlebar. The project is expected to begin building work in January 2027 and is scheduled to open to patients in 2029.
Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill and Minister for Social Protection and Rural and Community Development Dara Calleary attended the milestone event on 13 November 2026. The hospice is being developed by Mayo Roscommon Hospice Foundation to provide specialist paediatric palliative care for children with life-limiting conditions and their families across the western seaboard.
Sunflower Children’s Hospice will serve families across the west
The Sunflower Children’s Hospice is intended to support families from Donegal to Limerick, as well as Mayo, Roscommon and Leitrim. Its development follows the granting of planning permission in October.
The project aims to bring dedicated care and family support closer to home, reducing the need for families in the west and north-west to travel to Dublin for children’s hospice services. Tony Canavan, HSE Regional Executive Officer for the West and North West, described the development as a significant expansion of paediatric palliative care services in the region.
Planning for the facility has involved families and clinicians. Their input has helped shape features designed to support children’s practical, emotional and therapeutic needs, including:
- A canopy over the main entrance
- A shower close to the front door
- A hydrotherapy pool
- Sensory rooms and sensory gardens
€9 million raised towards €20 million development
Mayo Roscommon Hospice Foundation has raised €9 million since the plans were first unveiled in November 2025. The organisation said a further €11 million is required to complete the €20 million project.
Fundraising has been supported by local communities, businesses, corporate partners and individual donors. The foundation is continuing to seek support as the project moves towards construction.
Its chief executive Martina Jennings and chair Paul Foxe thanked Mayo County Council, local elected representatives, the Department of Health and the HSE for their support. They also appealed to people, businesses and communities across Ireland to continue contributing to the development.
What the new hospice will include
The planned 36,000-square-foot facility will provide a range of accommodation, care and family spaces. These are expected to include:
- Eight en-suite bedrooms with private garden or patio access
- Four family accommodation suites
- Dedicated areas for children and young adults
- Teaching and education facilities
- Reflection and quiet rooms
Andy Moran and Aidan O’Shea, ambassadors for the project, also attended the sod-turning ceremony and expressed their support for the hospice and the families it will serve.
A regional milestone for children’s palliative care
The HSE said the Sunflower Children’s Hospice will provide dedicated support for children with life-limiting conditions and their families across the West and North West. Its planned opening in 2029 will mark a major development in access to specialist children’s hospice care outside Dublin.
The foundation says further fundraising remains essential before the project can be completed. Information about the Sunflower Children’s Hospice and its fundraising campaign is available at sunflowerchildrenshospice.ie.
The key takeaway is clear: the sod-turning marks meaningful progress, but continued fundraising will be needed to turn the planned hospice into a functioning service for families across western Ireland.
