Sod turned on Sunflower Children’s Hospice in Castlebar

The Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, and Minister for Social Protection and Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, Dara Calleary, have turned the sod on the Sunflower Children’s Hospice in Castlebar, marking a landmark moment in the development of specialist paediatric palliative care services in Ireland. 

The sod-turning follows the granting of planning permission last month. Construction is expected to begin in January 2027, with the hospice scheduled to open to patients in 2029.

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.

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.

Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill said: “This time last year, I attended the launch of the Sunflower Children’s Hospice and met Chuck and Mairead Dunford who so generously and lovingly shared the story of their son, Kevin, with us all. They told us that having a hospice in the west would be 'transformative'.

"From Donegal to Limerick, families need access to these vital services, and for many, that need is urgent. The Sunflower Children’s Hospice will provide a place where children and their families can receive the care, comfort and support they deserve during incredibly difficult times.

"Martina Jennings and her team at Mayo Roscommon Hospice Foundation have made tremendous progress in bringing this much-needed project to this stage in such a short space of time. I am delighted to be back in Castlebar to turn the sod on this very important development.

"This hospice will make a real difference to children with life-limiting conditions and their families, providing specialist care and support closer to home at a most vulnerable time for them.

"I look forward to seeing the project progress and to returning to Mayo when the Sunflower Children’s Hospice opens its doors.”

Minister for Social Protection and Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht Dara Calleary T.D. said:“This is a such a special day for families and children all along the western seaboard. From Donegal all the way down to Limerick and into Roscommon and Leitrim, there will soon be a Children’s Hospice on their doorstep serving the west of Ireland.

"Those who, unfortunately, find themselves in need of the service will no longer be confined by their eircode. Every child and family deserves access to the care and support they need, regardless of where they live, and this is an important step towards ensuring that families across the region can access these vital services closer to home.

"What is also great about this project is that families and clinicians have been involved in the design stage ensuring that the hospice reflects the needs of the children and families who will use it. I really want to commend Martina Jennings for driving this project forward. She is truly a force of nature and without her, this would simply not be happening.

"I hope the Sunflower Children’s Hospice will provide a lasting source of support for children and families throughout the west of Ireland and beyond.” 

Martina Jennings, CEO of Mayo Roscommon Hospice Foundation and the Sunflower Children’s Hospice, and Paul Foxe, Chair said: “Today marks an incredibly significant milestone for Sunflower Children’s Hospice and for families across the western seaboard. Turning the sod brings us one step closer to creating a dedicated hospice where children with life-limiting conditions and their families can access specialist care, support and precious time together, closer to home.

"This project has been shaped by the experiences and needs of families, working alongside clinicians to help us create a facility that truly puts children and their families at its heart. We know how much this service is needed, and seeing the project move towards construction is a hugely positive moment for everyone who has supported us on this journey.

"We want to thank Mayo County Council and the elected councillors for their support throughout the planning process. We are so grateful to Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, her colleagues in the Department of Health, Regional Executive Officer West North West, Tony Canavan, and his team in the HSE for their unwavering support over the last year, and for working in collaboration with us to build a Paediatric Palliative Care service that keeps the patients and families at the core of everything we are working towards. 

"We also appreciate Minister Dara Calleary’s constant support over the last number of years, along with the elected representatives in the region, and we look forward to their continued support.

"We have raised €9 million towards the €20 million needed to complete the development, which is an incredible achievement thanks to the amazing generosity of our communities, corporate partners and donors. However, we still have significant fundraising to do, and we are asking people, businesses and communities across Ireland to continue supporting us so that we can bring this vital service to life for the families who need it.”