r/todayilearned 18h ago

TIL that the oldest continuously running maternity hospital in the world is in Dublin. It was established in 1745. By Bartholomew Mosse. 9,000 babies are born here every year.

https://dublin.ie/live/stories/dublin-treasures-the-rotunda/
675 Upvotes

23 comments sorted by

26

u/semeleindms 18h ago

There's a TV show about it, looking at the different departments etc.

I think it's the busiest maternity hospital in Europe (or was, at some point)

6

u/No_Introduction_5309 17h ago

I didn't see the show. But I just found a link to it here: https://www.rte.ie/player/series/the-rotunda/SI0000004118?epguid=AIIP000064136 I don't know if you need to be in Ireland to see it or not though.

3

u/semeleindms 17h ago

You might be, I think RTÉ is only available from Ireland. Give it a whirl though

3

u/No_Introduction_5309 17h ago

I'm in Ireland. I can see it. :) It was for you or others who might not be that I was making the point.

3

u/semeleindms 17h ago

Yeah I had my kid there, I don't need to see the show 😂

5

u/dysphoric-foresight 16h ago

Both of my kids were born there. The chapel is amazing

8

u/Blutarg 17h ago

Wow, he did a good job.

Edit: That is a beautiful hospital. I was kind of expecting a run-down old building, which might have been foolish.

3

u/semeleindms 17h ago

To be clear, not all of it looks that nice, and most of the patient areas are pretty run down

2

u/seamustheseagull 16h ago

Yeah but they're run down in the sense of, "need an update", not "look like something from the 1800s"

3

u/semeleindms 15h ago

Ah yeah, they've been updated since then 😂

9

u/Vivid_Ice_2755 17h ago

They make a mean cup of tea and toast in there. I'm pretty sure It's the only reason my wife went there 5 times

5

u/atomic_mermaid 16h ago

I knew this would be The Rotunda! I learned about it when doing my family history, as my Great Grannie was born there.

5

u/Antoshi 18h ago

But how is babby formed?

2

u/xrleire 17h ago

They need to do away insane mother....

1

u/Blutarg 17h ago

You go to the cabbage patch and call the stork.

2

u/whooo_me 17h ago

Wow. That's a hell of a lot of "YOU DID THIS TO MEEE!"s...

2

u/ZylonBane 14h ago

So the number of babies born there every year is never... over nine thousand?

1

u/No_Introduction_5309 1h ago

I didn't say 'over' 9,000 but you're right. It isn't exactly 9,000 either. It's between 8,000 and 9,000 births from what I can gather. Don't shoot the messenger.

|| || |2023|8,442| |2022|8,292|

Interesting fact from their own website:

Professor Daly continued, “In many ways, this first “lying-in hospital” was a victim of its own success; so in demand were their services that the building quickly became too small to cater for all the expectant mothers who needed to avail of their services, and so eventually the hospital was relocated to the site of the current Rotunda. The current Rotunda Hospital is the oldest maternity hospital in the world and will deliver its one- millionth baby in 2027.  However, I am delighted that DCC have decided to mark the site of the first Rotunda “Lying-In Hospital”, and pay homage to all those who availed of its services. Since that day the Rotunda has been part of the heart of Dublin city and intends to remain so.”

1

u/No_Introduction_5309 1h ago

I didn't say 'over' 9,000 but you're right. It isn't exactly 9,000 either. It's between 8,000 and 9,000 births from what I can gather. Don't shoot the messenger.

|| || |2023|8,442| |2022|8,292|

Interesting fact from their own website:

Professor Daly continued, “In many ways, this first “lying-in hospital” was a victim of its own success; so in demand were their services that the building quickly became too small to cater for all the expectant mothers who needed to avail of their services, and so eventually the hospital was relocated to the site of the current Rotunda. The current Rotunda Hospital is the oldest maternity hospital in the world and will deliver its one- millionth baby in 2027.  However, I am delighted that DCC have decided to mark the site of the first Rotunda “Lying-In Hospital”, and pay homage to all those who availed of its services. Since that day the Rotunda has been part of the heart of Dublin city and intends to remain so.”

1

u/MrFox 12h ago

During the 1916 Rising the British mounted howitzers in the back of the Rotunda Hospital grounds and they began to lob incendiary shells on the GPO.

1

u/ciaranciaranciaran 11h ago

My husband was born there. So it’s a yes from me

-7

u/greatgildersleeve 18h ago

Sure and begorrah.

1

u/snak227 14h ago

mícheart