Rotunda Hospital facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rotunda Hospital |
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| Health Service Executive - RCSI Hospitals | |
The front of the Rotunda Hospital on Parnell Street
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 Location in Central Dublin
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| Geography | |
| Location | Parnell Square East, Rotunda, D01 P5W9, Dublin, Ireland |
| Coordinates | 53°21′09″N 6°15′45″W / 53.3526°N 6.2626°W |
| Organisation | |
| Care system | HSE |
| Hospital type | Specialist |
| Affiliated university | Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland Dublin City University |
| Patron | Bartholomew Mosse |
| Services | |
| Speciality | Maternity hospital |
| History | |
| Founded | 1745 |
The Rotunda Hospital is a famous maternity hospital on Parnell Street in Dublin, Ireland. A maternity hospital is a special hospital where babies are born. The Rotunda is the oldest maternity hospital in the world that has been open without ever closing. It is now managed by a group called RCSI Hospitals.
The hospital is named after its round room, the "Rotunda," but the entertainment buildings that were once part of it are now used for other things.
Contents
A Hospital with a Long History
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The hospital was started in March 1745 by a surgeon named Bartholomew Mosse. He was also a midwife, a person trained to help women give birth. Dr. Mosse was sad to see the poor conditions many pregnant women faced. He wanted to create a clean and safe place for them.
His first hospital was on George's Lane. It was called a "Lying-In" hospital. This is an old term for childbirth. It refers to the time when new mothers would rest in bed for about a month. The hospital was a big success, and Dr. Mosse raised money to build a bigger one.
The New Hospital Building
In 1757, the hospital moved to the building where it is today. It was designed by the architect Richard Cassels. At the time, it was called "The New Lying-In Hospital."
In the 1700s, people didn't understand how important fresh air was for health. Around 1781, records show that many babies at the hospital became sick and died from diseases. This was because the building did not have good ventilation (flow of fresh air).
Once they improved the ventilation, far fewer babies got sick. This was a big problem in many hospitals back then. Famous reformers like Florence Nightingale later worked hard to make all hospitals cleaner and healthier for patients.
In 1889, doctors at the Rotunda performed the first caesarean section in Ireland. This is a type of surgery to deliver a baby.
The Famous Rotunda Rooms
The round room that gave the hospital its name is called the Rotunda. It was finished in 1767. More rooms, called the Rotunda Rooms, were added next to it and finished in 1791.
These rooms were used for concerts and parties to raise money for the hospital. Later, the Rotunda became a theatre. In 1913, a group called the Irish Volunteers held their first big public meeting there. Today, the Rotunda Rooms are home to the famous Gate Theatre.
Building and Architecture
The Rotunda Hospital is known for its beautiful design.
- The main walls are made from a strong, local stone called Leinster granite.
- Some of the decorations on the outside are very interesting. They include sculptures of ox heads.
- These sculptures are made from Coade stone. This was a popular type of artificial, or man-made, stone used in the late 1700s.
Services for Mothers and Babies
The Rotunda Hospital is not just a place for having babies. It is also a major training center for doctors and nurses, connected with Trinity College Dublin.
It has provided care for mothers and babies since it first opened in 1745. This makes it the oldest continuously operating maternity hospital in the world. By 2025, more than 900,000 babies had been born at the Rotunda.
See also
In Spanish: Hospital Rotunda para niños
- General Lying-In Hospital, London
