Crooksling nursing home is set to go on the market
By Aideen O'Flaherty
THE HSE are currently preparing to bring the site of the former St Brigid’s Nursing Home in Brittas, and the surrounding land, to the market, and a local councillor has voiced his hope that the land will be purchased by South Dublin County Council for a housing development.
The nursing home was originally a sanatorium for people with tuberculosis, which was developed in the early 1900s, and later became a care centre for the elderly, but it recently closed and the remaining residents were transferred to a newly-built nursing home in Tymon North.
St Brigid’s Nursing Home in Brittas
“The nursing home in Tymon North was due to open in March,” said Independent councillor Mick Duff, “but that opening was progressed because of Covid-19.
“The transfer of patients from Crooksling to Tymon North was done in a very professional and caring way, and I’m glad that families will be able to go in and visit their loved ones in the nursing home next week, and hopefully that will alleviate some of the misery of the past few months.”
As for the former site of St Brigid’s, The Echo understands that the HSE’s Estate Management department are currently waiting for internal permission to put the nursing home and the surrounding grounds on the market.
The HSE confirmed to The Echo last August that they planned to put the subject site on the market in the third quarter of 2020, and Cllr Duff is hoping that the council will put in a bid for the land in order to develop affordable housing.
An old image of St Brigid’s
“It would be an ideal site for a housing development, it’s 28 acres,” he said.
“I’m hoping the council would consider putting in a bid for the land if it goes on the market.
“They could use the site for housing, which would be of benefit to helping to alleviate the housing crisis.”
When asked about people who may have concerns about a housing development in an area like Crooksling, Cllr Duff responded: “If we were to take the view that we should not build on areas of natural beauty, then we would never have built houses in Tallaght.
“There is a crying need for housing right now.”
A spokesperson for South Dublin County Council was contacted for comment, but a response was not received in time for print.
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