‘It was just like the Shelbourne Hotel’
IT’S roll of former patients is a celebrity who’s who: Pippa O’Connor, Virginia Macari, Aisling O’Loughlin, Yvonne Keating, Sinead O’Connor, Michelle Rocca and Kerry Katona.
High profile mothers were upset to learn yesterday about Mount Carmel’s closure, saying they had happy memories of giving birth at the hospital.
Pippa O’Connor, who gave birth to her son Ollie in April 2012, choose the hospital as her grandfather Dr Karl Mullen had worked there for 40 years.
She tweeted: ‘So sad to hear about Mount Carmel. Big part of all my families’ lives and we had the best experience there, I’ll be forever grateful to the amazing staff we met.’
The hospital in Churchtown was also the top choice for swimwear designer Virginia Macari in February last year when she gave birth to her son Thor.
The Dublin Housewives star took to Twitter to share her disbelief, saying: ‘Very sorry to hear that Mount Carmel is closing down. Had my little boy there and they made it a magical time. Thinking of the amazing staff.’
Only having positive things to say about the service provided, the socialite said: ‘Mount Carmel offered an amazing serv- ice. I didn’t want to go home. The staff were so friendly and kind. My doctor Dr Julian Dockeray, who retired a few weeks ago, was brilliant.
‘I am very sad to hear it closed down. You get what you pay for, and the breakfast there was like what you would get served in The Shelbourne.’
Xposé’s Aisling O’Loughlin gave birth to her son Patrick in 2011 and her other boy Louis Alexander in last year.
The TV3 broadcaster said she would miss the hospital, telling the Mail: .I love the place. It is the perfect environment to have a baby especially when one is feeling so vulnerable and you don’t know what will happen next.
‘It’s a place of refuge and one gets pampered. There is no easy way to have a baby, no nice way. I had to have c-sections on both and it was a difficult time but the care was brilliant and the staff were so lovely all the way.
‘One doesn’t hear anyone else there in labour or anything. It’s a great loss for women as the staff really mind you.
‘Trying to breastfeed is tough and its sore and one needs time and every one gets it there.’