Celebrating the history of St Luke’s Hospital
08/04/2011
St Luke’s Social and Recreational Club has hosted an historical exhibition in the Hospital Recreation Hall charting the history of St Luke’s from its foundation in 1821. The exhibition was opened on 30 March by former Medical Superintendent Dr W B McConnell.Speaking at the opening of the exhibition, Dr McConnell said, “I’m delighted that the Recreation Club has taken the opportunity to document the hospital’s history in such a detailed and impressive way. In the Nineteenth Century, the hospital received its revenue support from the county council. The building was renamed St Luke’s Hospital when the National Health Service was formed in 1948 and the hospital has continued to develop services from that time.”
Armagh and District History Group’s popular magazine ‘History Armagh’ has published a specially commissioned issue to coincide with the 190th anniversary of the laying of the hospital’s foundation stone.
Mary McVeigh, Chairperson of Armagh and District History Group, said, “This is the first time that an issue of our magazine has been given to one topic and it gives me great pleasure to launch it in the magnificent surroundings of a hospital that has meant so much to so many people.”
St Luke’s Hospital Social Club Gala Ball
A Gala Ball to mark the 190th anniversary of St Luke’s Hospital in Armagh has been organised by St Luke’s Social and Recreational Club.
Speaking at the Ball, the Southern Health and Social Care Trust’s Chief Executive Mairead McAlinden said, “Since its foundation in 1821 as the first purpose built hospital of its kind in Ireland and the Western world, St Luke’s Hospital has provided a centre for innovation in the care of people with mental illness.
“From the first patients being admitted in 1825, when it was known as Armagh District Lunatic Asylum, to the opening of the Hill Building in 1898, as the first purpose-built hospital for acute mental health care, St Luke’s shows that the models of care developed here have led the way and shaped the provision of mental health hospital treatment in Northern Ireland, nationally and internationally.
“Buildings don’t provide care, people do, and we have been fortunate that so many people working in the service based in St Luke’s Hospital and in our communities have had the vision and drive to improve care and treatment for mental health.
“We must pay tribute to these staff, past and present, who have been at the cutting edge of mental health care, and who have continually shaped and influenced the policy, strategy and model of care for mental health care. Many of the people who have driven the current Mental Health strategy, focused on early intervention, rehabilitation and resettlement, are with us tonight. You have changed the shape of care, focusing on the needs of individuals and not on preserving institutions.
“The purpose of St Luke’s has changed over the years, but the ethos and values that drove its establishment 190 years ago have not changed. They are to provide the best possible care for people with mental illness and to treat them with compassion and humanity.
“As Chief Executive I am proud of what has been achieved in the Southern Trust, proud of what we are doing to improve the lives of people with mental health, and proud of our staff who have been open to change and innovation in the best interests of the people they care for.”
There were speeches from Jim Spiers, Mayor of Armagh City and District Council, Dr Pat McMahon, Consultant Psychiatrist, and Jarlath Burns and Betty O’Neill from St Luke’s Hospital St Luke’s Social and Recreational Club. The Living History Group also performed for guests.
The Trust’s Director of Mental Health Services Francis Rice made special presentations to pre-NHS trainee nurses Margaret McVeigh, Pat Joe McKenna, Sarah O’Neill and Mick Toal who dedicated their lives to caring for those with mental illness.
