Central Mental Hospital

Central Mental Hospital
National Forensic Mental Health Service
Shown in Ireland
Geography
Location	Portrane, Dublin, Ireland
Coordinates	53.48°N 6.122°W / 53.48; -6.122
Organisation
Funding	Government hospital
Type	Specialist
Religious affiliation	Non-denominational
Services
Beds	84
Speciality	Secure psychiatric hospital
History
Opened	1850 (old facility) 2020 (new facility)
Links
Website	https://www.hse.ie/eng/national-forensic-mental-health-service-portrane/

The Central Mental Hospital (Irish: An Príomh-Oispidéal Meabhar-Ghalar) is a mental health facility housing forensic patients in Portrane, Dublin, Ireland. The hospital, along with a community day centre for outpatients at Usher's Island, forms part of the National Forensic Mental Health Service.

History

Central Criminal Lunatic Asylum for Ireland, 1850

The old hospital site at Dundrum

The hospital originally opened as the Central Criminal Lunatic Asylum for Ireland at Dundrum in Dublin in 1850. This was an early move of an initiative throughout the United Kingdom and its colonies which included the building of Broadmoor Hospital in England.^[1] The site was originally chosen to be soothing to mental health patients and was intentionally not linked to any particular prison service to maintain the distinction between criminality and illness.^[2]

The Health Service Executive (HSE) announced in February 2012 that the hospital would relocate to the former site of the old St. Ita's Hospital in Portrane in the north of County Dublin.^[3] The construction works were undertaken by Rhatigan OHL at a cost of €140 million.^[4] The new facility opened in November 2022.^[5]

See also

• St. Nahi's Church, Dundrum
• Taney Parish

References

1. History Central Mental Hospital Carers, a group of patient relatives
2. Hospital or Prison? What Future for the Central Mental Hospital? Archived November 29, 2014, at the Wayback Machine workingnotes.ie
3. "Central Mental Hospital to be moved to north Dublin". The Journal. 23 February 2012. Retrieved 10 May 2019.
4. "New €140m mental health facility 'is in budget and is on time'". The Independent. 16 February 2019. Retrieved 10 May 2019.
5. "New €200m Central Mental Hospital opens in north Dublin". RTÉ. 4 November 2022. Retrieved 6 December 2022.