Leopardstown Hospital, Dublin
It is a little known fact that, COHSE had a branch of the union in Dublin for many years.
The COHSE branch was based at Leopardstown Park Hospital, a British War Pensions hospital located at Blackrock, Co Dublin opened in 1917.
The building is large mansion house in 100 acres of grounds, given by the Powers (Whisky) family.
The hospital was established to care for injured Irish soilders in the British Army. It was administered by trustees of the British Department of Health and hospital staff were paid British NHS Whitley pay rates
The COHSE branch was established in 1948 by Jim Doyle a ward assistant (later ambulance driver) with Tim Canty a nurse (who moved to nurse in England) with two other members called Ball and Byrne. In the late 1960's the branch had 60 members and Jim Doyle Branch Chairman, Jack Brennan Branch Secretary, Sean Whelan Vice Chairmen In the grounds of the hospital patients still wore the old "hospital blues" familiar to hospitals in WW1
In 1979 the hospital was transfered to a local Hospital Board (whick includes a UK representative) and still carers for injured soilders
Picture Left to right Jim Doyle, Sean Whelan. Jack Brennan (October 1969)
The National Asylum Workers Union had members in Southern Ireland until 1917 (branches left to form own Irish Mental hospital workers Union, later ITGWU, later SIPTU)