This afternoon.
Baggott Street Hospital, Baggott Street, Dublin 2.
Ruadhan Mac Eoin writes:
A building that may be of architectural interest to your readers is the Royal City of Dublin Hospital in Baggot Street, which originally opened in 1832, but was later rebuilt – with the current edifice dating from 1893. Among people who worked there over the years was the noted Ulster born surgeon, John Houston.
A fine late Victorian red brick edifice with yellow terracotta details designed by another Ulsterman, Albert Edward Murray, it consists of 5 floors over basement and has 5,600 square metres of space inside, according to media reports. Hence the floor area equates to approximately the same space as that of about 50 houses.
It has been sitting completely idle since August 2019 and is attracting litter, while the state apparently ponders selling it off.
Maybe when readers next hear of the need for Covid restrictions so as to ensure capacity in the health system, they can think of this entire hospital sitting empty in Dublin 4.
Perhaps Broadsheet readers might know of other architecturally interesting hospitals or former hospitals that are sitting empty at a time of national health emergency?
Pics: Ruadhan Mac Eoin
Pretty vacant is the headline.
Thanks, Papi.
The gay clap clinic used to be in there- absolutely gorgeous building both in and out- great wine shop across the road too btw.
free HIV tests there too. you’d always end up with a bag full of jonnies – good times.
I had a summer job in there in the early 90s where I’d provide reception cover for the emergency officer. Saw all kinds. No jonnies, but lots of incontinence pants/adult nappies handed out.
Those were the days
Maybe when readers next hear of the need for Covid restrictions so as to ensure capacity in the health system, they can think of this entire……
…….189 year old crumbling, outdated building which would COMPLETELY unsuitable as a modern……
……..hospital sitting empty in Dublin 4.
you have a point
and getting it up into any fit state is unlikely
and our experience of building hospitals can be measured by the N€H disaster
but one hospital
St Bricin’s Military Hospital
should be redeployed
no question about it
even the NTPF should get in there and come to an arrangement
Sidney Powell- is that you?
Tis
COMPLETELY unsuitable- have you been?
Have you also been to the City West conference living morgue after Naomi Campbell said so?
Malfeasance.
I was never out of the gay clap clinic
o/* at Mick and Jacinta.
Also Gráinne although she is one of those very wealthy Irish Times lockdown types so we may possibly talk once the court cases are over but- probably not.
…some wonderful Victorian pubs in Dublin but these edifices are ugly…Belfast seems to like this type of architecture but not in Georgian Dublin…again, would make a lovely hotel with sympathetic restoration…
there’s too many hotels. and none of them are sympathetic to original building or surroundings. with exceptional wheterspoons on Camden street. you should get a job in DCC, if they haven’t already enough short sighted fools with not a lick of culture.
‘I need your clothes, your boots, and your motorcycle’.
(not everyone took the slow boat to liverpool,esp. if you had a prominetnt….:)
Before the GMHS (gay clinic) moved to Portobello over a year ago I was in for a check-up and they were advising patients of the upcoming move to D8. Asked what was to become of the building (since it is indeed unsuitable for the provision of most health services beyond a basic clinic) and was told “there are plans for a luxury hotel once the HSE move out completely”.
No doubt Covid has put a stop to that big project and it’ll remain a derelict shell for a couple of years now. I’ve no doubt it will become a luxury hotel eventually given the prime D4 location, since it can’t become a co-living place now. Neither are appealing during a housing crisis.
Who knew there was so many clapping gaymers on Broadsheet eh?
while it’s a pity that it’s lying empty, I can see why circumstances may have prevented them from finding a buyer between August 2019 and now
Paul Kelly Console founder and fraudster, managed to impersonate a Doctor there for a three week period in 1983.
https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/console-boss-who-won-awards-for-charity-work-once-pretended-to-be-a-doctor-34844858.html
Is there anything to be said for another hotel?
It will be sold, will suspiciously burn down, then be demolished and a crappy office block put up instead
My grandfather died there. He wasn’t there long, in for palliative care.
Staff were amazing.