St. Dympna's Hospital (Irish: Ospidéal Naomh Dympna) is a psychiatric hospital located in Carlow, County Carlow, Ireland.
| St. Dympna's Hospital | |
|---|---|
| Health Service Executive | |
.jpg) St. Dympna's Hospital | |
  Shown in Ireland | |
| Geography | |
| Location | Carlow, County Carlow, Ireland |
| Coordinates | 52°50′32″N 6°55′38″W / 52.8422°N 6.9272°W |
| Organisation | |
| Care system | HSE |
| Type | Specialist |
| Services | |
| Emergency department | No |
| Beds | 115 |
| Speciality | Psychiatric hospital |
| History | |
| Opened | 1832 |
| Links | |
| Website | www |
History
The hospital, which was designed by Francis Johnston, opened as the Carlow District Lunatic Asylum in 1832.[1] It became Carlow Mental Hospital in 1925 and, having been re-named St. Dympna's Hospital, after St. Dympna, the patron saint of mental illness, in 1958, it was taken over by the Department of Health in 1971.[2] After the introduction of deinstitutionalisation in the late 1980s the hospital went into a period of decline.[3][4] Kelvin Grove, a modern residential unit for adult clients with learning difficulties, opened on the site in 2008.[5] The main hospital closed in October 2011.[6]
Patient services
Services include out-patient clinics, day care facilities, addiction counselling, and a community hostel.[7][8]