Calls for 'saint in her own lifestyle' Bridie O’Shea to be remembered in Donegal

A local councillor has called on the HSE to name a ward in the new Community Nursing Unit in Letterkenny in honour of the late pioneering District Nurse, Bridie O’Shea.

The matter was raised by Cllr Ciaran Brogan at the Regional Health Forum. Ms O’Shea (née Boyle) of Ballyraine Road, Letterkenny, and formerly Glenties, passed away at her home in June 2017.

At her funeral Mass in the Church of the Irish Martyrs, the late Fr Brian Quinn said Bridie had become a "saint in her own lifetime."

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Cllr Brogan said her legacy lives on and she is still fondly remembered in the Churchill and Letterkenny areas, where she cared for the community for decades, up until her retirement.

“Can I have assurances that a ward of the new community nursing unit will be named after the late Bridie O Shea, former nurse in this area for a long number of years and one of the first people to identify the need for such a facility?” he asked the meeting.

“She was a special person, and performed palliative care in the area years ago when many of us didn’t know what palliative care was. I strongly believe one of the wards in the new community hospital should be named after her, in honour of her huge contribution to the health service at the time.”

Cllr Brogan said the late Ms O’Shea also kindly gave up much of her time to volunteer for both the Donegal Hospice and the local branch of St Vincent de Paul.

In response, Dermot Monaghan, the HSE’s Integrated Health Area Manager, told Cllr Brogan the process of naming the various areas and wards within the hospital has not yet begun.

“However, when the time comes to finalise these names, the management team will give thoughtful consideration to including the late Bridie O’Shea in recognition of her contribution,” he said.