Esther McCarthy: Why Marymount hospice in Cork is a place to be revered, not feared

"They create an environment of solace, and acceptance, there is a sense of peace there. And I don’t know how they do it, but there’s no ‘hospital smell’."

Esther McCarthy. Picture: Emily Quinn

“I don't want him to be on his own,” my nine-year-old son says as we are debating what to do about a very vocal cat at the front door of Marymount Hospice.

He’s been there the past couple of evenings. Snow white, extremely friendly, with the aura of an absolute diva.