St John of God Hospital has signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with UCD School of Medicine, officially becoming a University hospital.
This agreement establishes St John of God Hospital as an educational affiliate of University College Dublin (UCD) and sets out the hospital’s role in delivering psychiatry clinical placements for both undergraduate and graduate-entry medical students.
The MOU reinforces St John of God Hospital’s longstanding commitment to medical education, reflecting its role as a teaching hospital over many decades. The agreement represents a renewed dedication to deepening collaboration between the hospital and UCD.
This academic partnership also underlines the Hospital’s contribution to education and professional development of doctors, nurses, and a wide range of healthcare practitioners.
Address of Damien O’Dowd, Chief Executive, St. John of God Hospital
Welcome
Good Afternoon and welcome to St John of God Hospital and to the signing of the MOU with
University College Dublin School of Medicine.
I am delighted to welcome Prof Michael Keane Dean & Head of the School of Medicine at
UCD and his colleagues
Prof Brian O’Donoghue – UCD Professor of Psychiatry
Prof Anne Doherty – Head of Subject
Dr Margaret Gallagher – Module Co-ordinator for Psychiatry
Mr. Chris Carr – Programme Manager, Psychiatry Subject
Ms. Barbara Cantwell – Administrative Manager
Dr Katherine Stroughair – Clinical Lecturer
Prof Fiona McNicholas – Chair Child & Adolescent Psychiatry UCD
Prof Aisling Mulligan – Associate Professor & Child and Adolescent Consultant
Prof Elizabeth Barrett – Associate Professor & Child and Adolescent Consultant
I wish to also welcome Br Donatus Forkan Provincial of the St John of God Western
European Province, Br Finnian, Provincial Secretary and Conor McCarthy Chief Executive of
St John of God Hospitaller Service Group.
Welcome also to David Pierce, Chair of the Board of Directors of St John of God Hospital
and members of the Board, the Management Team, our Consultant colleagues and clinical
colleagues from Psychology, Social Work, Pharmacy, Nursing, Occupational Therapy and
Pastoral Care and our support service colleagues (of Technical Services, Accommodation
and Catering).
Welcome also to colleagues from SJOG Community Services
This year marks 100 years since the establishment of the training and education of Nurses
at St John of God Hospital and we will be celebrating this in the coming months, while next
year, 2026, will mark 100 years since the Royal Medical Psychological Association
recognised St John of God Hospital for the training of medical doctors in psychiatry following
work undertaken by the then Medical Director, Dr James Boland.
A lot has changed in the intervening century, however, when you review the minutes of the
meetings which took place over the period 1924-1925, it is interesting to read the discussion,
debate and discernment that took place and how the then brothers wished to take the
correct decision for the betterment of their patients by ensuring qualified and highly
competent individuals provided excellence in the treatment and care that they provided to
those patients at the Hospital are in keeping with the values of our organisation.
Today at St John of God Hospital, the commitment to providing excellence in treatment and
care remains our focussed priority, ensuring that we have the very best in clinical experience
and environment for our patients and families that we serve to heal and recover.
We have continued to demonstrate this in many ways over the decades through continued
innovation and support for training, further education and research collaboration from all of
our clinical disciplines. Indeed our research collaboration extend not only across the wider St
John of God services but also with the wider research fraternity internationally.
Like our partners at UCD, we acknowledge the work that this requires and we look forward
to continuing on this journey together as we affirm today through the signing of the MOU
between us.
Before concluding I wish to acknowledge a few people
Br Laurence Kearns
Prof Brian O’Donoghue
Br Donatus and the Hospitaller Order of St John of God
Board of Directors
Thank you.