Minister to turn sod on Children's Hospice
An artist's impression of the Sunflower Children's Hospice which was last week granted planning permission.
The Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, will turn the sod on the Sunflower Children’s Hospice in Castlebar this morning, Friday, marking a landmark moment in the development of specialist paediatric palliative care services in Ireland.
The sod turning will take place at 9 a.m. at Moneen Road, Castlebar.
Developed by Mayo Roscommon Hospice Foundation, the hospice will be the first children’s hospice to be built outside Dublin, providing dedicated specialist support for children with life-limiting conditions and their families across the western seaboard.
Construction is expected to begin in January 2027, with the hospice scheduled to open to patients in 2029.
Since the plans were first unveiled in November 2025, Mayo Roscommon Hospice Foundation has raised €9 million towards the €20 million development through community and corporate fundraising, donor support and local initiatives. Fundraising is continuing to secure the remaining €11 million needed to bring the project to completion.
The hospice’s design has been shaped by workshops with families who will use the service, alongside clinicians, to ensure the facility reflects the needs of children and their families.
Feedback has informed practical and therapeutic features, including a canopy over the front entrance, a shower immediately inside the front door and a hydrotherapy pool.
The 36,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art Sunflower Children’s Hospice will also include: eight en-suite bedrooms with private garden or patio access; four family accommodation suites; sensory rooms and sensory gardens; dedicated children and young adult spaces; teaching and education facilities; reflection and quiet rooms.
