Dingle Hospital, as we know it today is a renovated building – one of the many buildings, built in the early 19th century, as a poor law workhouse, to house the homeless poor. The site was donated by Lord Ventry 22 February 1848. The building was ready for occupation 1852. It was governed by a Board of Guardians, all of them Protestants. The Chairman was Lord Ventry.
It wasn’t until 1889 that it was proposed at a Board of Guardians meeting that the Sisters of Mercy from Tralee be asked to come to Dingle to organise the workhouse. Bishop Coffey the bishop of Kerry, agreed to the proposal and on the 16th. May 1889, under the protection of St. Brendan, four Sisters of Mercy left St. John’s Convent, Tralee for Dingle. They were Srs. M. Elizabeth Moynihan, Baptist Rice, Ursula Allman and Coleman Brosnan. There was no train or bus service so a horse drawn carriage was put at their disposal for the journey.
The party left St. John’s immediately after Mass and got a hearty send off from the community in Tralee. The Sisters were lonely and be bewildered as Dingle seemed then out in space! However, they were all full of zeal for God’s glory. It was a beautiful morning in May. They travelled over Connor Pass.. They were received at the Presentation Convent, Dingle by Fr. Scollard, C.C. and were escorted to their new home by Master Nelligan, Clerk of the Union.
The Convent was not yet ready but Mrs Adams of Dingle and other friends and supporters generously provided beds and bed-clothes. Canon Dan O’Sullivan insisted that the sick be cared for by the Sisters, so next morning two Sisters went to organise the hospital while two helped to get the convent in order. The buildings were then occupied by 700 to 800 people. Disease was rife, due to malnutrition and bad sanitation. The Sisters trained some of the ablest of the men and women to help them. Read more
Southern Province 