The site of the Rotunda’s First ‘Lying-In Hospital’ at 60 South Great Georges Street, now home to Decwells
Hardware, was memorialised by a Dublin City Council commemorative plaque on Friday, 1st November 2024.
The plaque to commemorate the original site of The Rotunda Hospital was unveiled by Lord Mayor of Dublin, James Geoghegan and Professor Seán Daly, Master of the Rotunda. Decwells, founded by David & Monica Baker, are currently celebrating their 40th anniversary and have been working with The Master and the Historical Committee of the Rotunda Hospital and Dublin City Council (DCC) on this initiative for a number of years.
David Baker, MD Decwells Hardware, Lord Mayor of Dublin, James
Geoghegan and Professor Seán Daly, Current Master of the Rotunda Hospital.
The first iteration of the Rotunda Hospital was founded by Dr Bartholomew Mosse in an effort to mitigate the poor health care service often experienced by expectant mothers in Dublin City. A three-story house on South Great George’s Street was converted into a Maternity Hospital, opening its doors on March 15th, 1745, and delivering its first infant on March 20th. It operated from these premises from 1745 to 1757.
Professor Seán Daly, Master of the Rotunda, commented that: “it is remarkable to think that a humble maternity hospital which opened at South Great Georges Street almost 300 years ago supported the birth of over 4,000 children and the safe care of their mothers during its twelve years of operation. Equally of note is that the location was also the site of the first midwifery training hospital in both Ireland and Great Britain.”
The Lord Mayor said, “Our maternity service today is staffed by 4,250 midwives and delivers 60,000 babies a year. Our rates of childhood mortality are among the lowest in the world and lower than our peers. Bartholomew would be proud.”
Professor Daly continued, “In many ways, this first “lying-in hospital” was a victim of its own success; so in demand were their services that the building quickly became too small to cater for all the expectant mothers who needed to avail of their services, and eventually the hospital was relocated to the site of the current Rotunda at Parnell Square. The current Rotunda Hospital is the oldest maternity hospital in the world and will deliver its one-millionth baby in 2027. However, I am delighted that DCC has decided to mark the site of the first Rotunda “Lying-In Hospital” and pay homage to all those who availed themselves of its services. Since that day the Rotunda has been part of the heart of Dublin City and intends to remain so.”
