Send flowers to someone at St John of God Hospital, Stillorgan

About St John of God University Hospital

St John of God University Hospital is a psychiatric teaching hospital in Stillorgan, in the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown area of south Dublin. It stands on the Dublin-Bray Road, the N11, about five miles from the city centre. The hospital was founded in 1882 and is part of the St John of God Hospitaller Service Group, an international Catholic order which cares for people in more than 50 countries. It has 183 in-patient beds and offers services for adults and for adolescents aged 14 to 18, including treatment for substance misuse, eating disorders and later-life psychiatric conditions.

The setting has a long history. The site was once Stillorgan Castle, and the Hospitaller Order moved there in 1883. A large 18th-century obelisk, designed by Edward Lovett Pearce for the second Viscount Allen, is among the best-known architectural features of Stillorgan.

A sensitive kind of stay

Many people reading this are thinking of a friend or a relative who is going through a hard time. A bouquet can be a simple way to say that you are thinking of them and that there is no pressure to reply. Keep the card warm and light. Phrases such as thinking of you, or whenever you feel like a chat, are better than anything that sounds like a get-well deadline.

Not everyone will want others to know where they are, so ask the family or the person themselves before you order. If you are not sure whether a particular patient can accept deliveries, ring the hospital and ask. Give the patient's full name and the ward, and be ready for staff to check whether the patient has agreed to receive post and gifts.

Visiting times from the hospital

The hospital publishes visiting times by department. On weekdays, the adult suites have visiting in the late afternoon and again in the evening, and the hospital's visitor page also lists the times for the adolescent service. At weekends and on bank holidays, the adult suites are open from half past two until half past eight in the evening. Check the visitor page for the current times before you plan a visit, since the arrangements can change.

There is limited paid parking for visitors, and several bus routes serve the N11 outside the hospital, while the Sandyford Luas terminus and the Blackrock DART station give other ways to reach it. A pharmacy on the ground floor stocks toiletries and essentials, and there is a chapel where Mass is celebrated.

Choosing flowers

For a long stay, flowers that last are a kindness. Chrysanthemums, alstroemeria and carnations hold their shape for two weeks or more, and the colours can match the season. Soft colours such as cream, lavender and pale pink suit a quiet room, while a small bunch of seasonal flowers from the garden gives a homely feel. Avoid heavily scented lilies, which can overpower a shared space.

If the hospital cannot take a bouquet to the room, you can still send something meaningful. A potted plant such as a small orchid or a pot of spring bulbs can be kept on a windowsill, and a handwritten letter is often the most treasured gift of all. Ask the ward what is allowed before you buy anything in glass or with sharp edges.

Stillorgan and the surrounding area

Stillorgan was once a village in its own right and is now a suburb of Dublin. Its name comes from the Irish Stigh Lorgan, and the local Catholic parish church is St Laurence's. Stillorgan has a shopping centre, the Kilmacud Crokes GAA club at Glenalbyn, and two Luas stops, Stillorgan and Sandyford, on the Green Line. If you are sending to a friend who lives nearby rather than to the hospital, give the Eircode and a mobile number, since estates in south Dublin can be hard to find.

After the stay

A bouquet to the person's home can be even more welcome than one sent to the ward, because a return home is often the moment when support matters most. Choose a delivery date a few days after discharge, and ask a family member whether it should be a surprise. A short, kind card goes a long way.

Did you know? St John of God Hospital in Stillorgan was founded in 1882 and stands on the site of the old Stillorgan Castle, which the Hospitaller Order moved into in 1883.