Health park set to create 550 jobs

THE country’s first health park — a US-style hospital featuring a nursing home and sports injury clinic — is to be built in Carlow at a cost of €100m.

Construction is due to begin in June and the project will create 550 jobs.

The centre of the park will include a 40-bed hospital and a 100-bed nursing home. The development on the outskirts of Carlow town is to begin within the next two months and as many as 250 jobs will be created in its construction. The ambitious project is a public/private partnership venture. Finance comes from the Departments of Health and Finance as well as the EU. The programme is being spearheaded by Redhill Properties, headed by Stephen Murphy and local dentist Dr James Madden. Both have campaigned for years for better facilities for their town.