{"id":214623,"date":"2025-12-04T07:26:17","date_gmt":"2025-12-04T07:26:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/214623\/"},"modified":"2025-12-04T07:26:17","modified_gmt":"2025-12-04T07:26:17","slug":"former-cork-resort-hotel-to-become-mercy-hospital-rehabilitation-centre","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/214623\/","title":{"rendered":"Former Cork resort hotel to become Mercy Hospital rehabilitation centre"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"\">A former Cork hotel and golf resort is set to become a 50-bed rehabilitation and neurological facility in the new year, in what has been described as a major boost for public healthcare in Munster.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">On January 1, Mercy University Hospital (MUH) will assume governance of the former Blarney Hotel and Golf Resort, transforming it into a key rehabilitation centre, offering services previously unavailable in the Southwest region.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Currently, most patients requiring such rehabilitative care are forced to travel to Co Dublin.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">The facility will consist of 30 beds offering in-patient rehabilitation services after illness, injury, or surgery, and 20 beds allocated for neuro-surgical patients with newly acquired complex disability after neurological injury.<\/p>\n<p class=\"contextmenu caption\">Transfer<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">The HSE also plans to transfer its prosthetic orthotic limb absence rehabilitation (POLAR) unit from MUH to Blarney in the first quarter of 2026.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Over the past year, the former hotel has been used as a 30-bed step-down facility managed by Mowlam Healthcare on behalf of MUH.<\/p>\n<p class=\"contextmenu Body Body\">Fine Gael TD for Cork North Central, Colm Burke, hailed the decision as \u201ca hugely positive investment in Cork\u2019s health services (representing) a significant step forward\u201d in strengthening rehabilitation and neurological supports across Cork and Munster.<\/p>\n<p class=\"contextmenu Body Body\">\u201cPreviously most rehabilitation patients were required to travel to D\u00fan Laoghaire for treatment,\u201d Mr Burke said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"contextmenu Body Body\">\n            \u201cThis expansion will ease pressure on the Mercy, improve patient flow and also provide capacity for patients who need structured rehabilitation.\u201d\n        <\/p>\n<p class=\"contextmenu Body Body\">Damian Boylan, Fine Gael city councillor for the north-west ward, said the investment would transform the former resort into a vital community health service.<\/p>\n<p class=\"contextmenu Body Body\">\u201cLocal residents have always wanted to see this used to its full potential and this announcement goes some way towards this ambition,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"contextmenu caption\">Acquired<\/p>\n<p class=\"contextmenu Body Body\">The former Blarney Hotel and Golf Resort, developed in 2004 as part of a \u20ac25m golf resort, was acquired in 2021 by the HSE on behalf of Cork Kerry Community Healthcare for around \u20ac3m.<\/p>\n<p class=\"contextmenu Body Body\">The 61-bedroom former hotel sits within a wider 170-acre site in Shournagh Valley, and was developed originally along with a leisure and gym complex, 56 holiday homes, and a golf course designed by two-time major winner John Daly.<\/p>\n<p class=\"contextmenu Body Body\">The hotel and the leisure and gym complex closed in January 2020, while the holiday homes, golf course and clubhouse, which are privately owned, remain in use to this day.<\/p>\n<p class=\"contextmenu Body Body\">In 2023, the HSE applied for retention permission for development works at the former hotel, while seeking permission at the time for a change of use to convert it to a community nursing home unit.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A former Cork hotel and golf resort is set to become a 50-bed rehabilitation and neurological facility 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