Five years ago, when the new Marymount University Hospital and Hospice in Cork was being built on its new site at Curraheen, County Cork, Bishop Paul Colton asked the Directors of St. Luke’s Home in Cork to donate €1 million to the project, and they readily agreed. The final instalment of that promised €1 million gift was paid recently. Bishop Colton, Chairperson of St. Luke’s, was invited by the chairperson of Marymount, Professor Cillian Twomey, to visit the St. Luke’s Home Day Care Unit at the Hospice which was built using the donation from St. Luke’s. Also present were the CEOs of the two charities: Mr David O’Brien, CEO, St. Luke’s and Mr Dan Philpott, CEO, Marymount.
On behalf of St Luke’s Home, Cork, Dr Paul Colton, Bishop of Cork (right) presents the final instalment of a €1 million donation to Marymount University Hospital and Hospice, Cork to the Marymount Chairman, Professor Cillian Twomey. Photo: Provision
Bishop Colton, who chairs St. Luke’s Boards, and is also one of the Patrons of the Friends of Marymount, said:
These two charities – one Roman Catholic, and the other Protestant – were founded in the same era, Marymount in 1870 and St. Luke’s in 1872. For many years they worked alongside each other on opposite sides of the street at Military Hill in Cork. This gift, I believe, is a significant symbol of a new era, established over recent decades, of ecumenical cooperation and practical partnership in healthcare expertise between our two caring institutions which nowadays care for everyone regardless of background or faith perspective. Between the two, we employ about 510 people in the Cork region (300 at Marymount and 210 at St. Luke’s). Last time I visited this part of Marymount it was a building site. Today it is wonderful to see the St.Luke’s Day Care Unit up and running: a sign of our work together as two leading charities here in Cork and the wider region.
Visiting the St Luke’s Day Care Unit at Marymount University Hospital and Hospice recently were (l-r): David O’Brien (CEO, St Luke’s), Professor Cillian Twomey (Chairman of the Board, Marymount), Dr Paul Colton (Chairman of the Board, St Luke’s) and Dan Philpott (CEO, Marymount). Photo: Provision
