Knights’ free ‘hotel’ for ill patients

A NEW €8 million accommodation, nearing completion in Cork, will be like a four-star hotel, but will be absolutely free-of-charge to guests.

However, when it is opened in September, people occupying one of the 24 family rooms in Bru Columbanus will have more to worry about than hotel service.

They will be family members of critically ill patients in Cork hospitals, staying in a project which will be run and funded by the Knights of St Columbanus.

Located at Cardinal Way in Bishopstown, opposite the Cork University Hospital (CUH), Bru Columbanus will cater for people from all over Ireland and, in particular, Munster.

Jim Leahy, a member of the Supreme Council, or national executive, of the knights, said that it would be open to all families.

“It is modelled on a similar project in Glasgow and the objective is to provide free accommodation to families of long term and critically ill persons who are patients at any of the Cork city hospitals,” he said.

Bru Columbanus will have 24 family rooms, and each bedroom will have a direct link to the relevant hospital, enabling guests to keep in touch with the hospital day and night.

The project will have a dining area, laundry, library, playroom, teenagers’ room, counselling room, board room, prayer room and private car park.

“It will be rather like a four-star hotel, as each of the bedrooms will have its own en-suite bathroom,” said Mr Leahy.

While the knights consider it to be their flagship project in the south and have undertaken to underwrite the running costs, it has received a Government grant of €2.5 million.