High-pressure oxygen chambers in Cork help patients catch their breath again

'Irish Examiner' reporter Sarah Horgan chatting with patient Geraldine Murphy and centre manager Christy Walsh in one of the two chambers at Bandon Hyperbaric Oxygen Centre. Picture: Andy Gibson

Tucked away in a quiet corner in West Cork, visitors to might be forgiven for believing they have stumbled on to the set of a sci-fi movie.

Submarine-like vessels facilitate the administration of pure oxygen under pressure — a therapy which had its origins in the fields of aviation, space, and deep-sea diving.