Founded in 1745, the Rotunda Hospital stands as the world’s oldest continuously operating maternity hospital. Imagine the countless stories within these walls. The Rotunda is on Parnell Street in Dublin. It is managed by RCSI Hospitals now. But the Rotunda entertainment buildings in Parnell Square are no longer part of the hospital complex.
Bartholomew Mosse, a surgeon and midwife, founded the hospital. He was appalled by the conditions pregnant women faced. Initially, it was in George’s Lane. In 1757, the hospital moved to its current location. It became known as “The New Lying-In Hospital.”
Did you know lying-in is an old term for childbirth? It referred to the month-long bed rest for postpartum confinement. Mosse raised money through concerts and lotteries to establish the larger Rotunda premises. The Church of Ireland Chapel opened in 1762. Wealthy Protestant Dubliners attended services there. This provided a healthy income for the Rotunda Hospital annually.
Around 1781, ventilation was poor. One in six children died within nine days of birth from convulsive disease. After thorough ventilation was adopted, infant mortality reduced. It became one in twenty in the next five years. Ventilation improvement was a general issue in patient care then. Sanitation and hygiene were also big issues. Florence Nightingale famously worked on designing safe hospitals.
Ireland’s first caesarean section happened here in 1889. By the early 1990s, the Rotunda Hospital continued its work as a maternity hospital.
James Ensor designed the Rotunda. It was completed for a reception hosted by James FitzGerald in 1767. Richard Johnston designed the Rotunda Rooms. They were built adjacent to the rotunda and completed in 1791. By the 19th century, it became known as the Rotunda Hospital. This was after its most prominent architectural feature. The Rotunda became a theatre. The Irish Volunteers held their first public meeting here in 1913. Later, it housed the Ambassador Cinema. The Rotunda Rooms now house the Gate Theatre.
Patrick Wyse Jackson assessed the building in 1993. He noted the walls are faced with Leinster granite and Kilgobbin granite. The former building used Portland stone and Leinster granite. Sculptured friezes of ox heads were added. These were made of Coade stone, a fashionable artificial stone in the late 1700s.
Affiliated with Trinity College Dublin, the Rotunda is a training center. It has provided continuous service to mothers and babies since its beginning. Over 900,000 babies have been born here since it opened.
In 2000, the Rotunda Hospital admitted to illegally retaining organ tissue from babies. This was done without parental consent. In 2020, a medical negligence award was approved. This was for a boy who developed cerebral palsy. It resulted from complications during his delivery at the Rotunda in 2004.
As you stand here, consider the history and the future. The Rotunda Hospital continues to serve Dublin. It remains a beacon of hope for countless families.