National Kidney Support Centre for Kidney Patients and Families

The Irish Kidney Association (IKA) is delighted to announce the return of its much-valued National Kidney Support Centre (NKSC) on the grounds of Beaumont hospital. It is scheduled to re-open in Spring 2026, following extensive renovation and modernisation. The Centre will once again support kidney patients and their families who must travel to Dublin for vital treatment and appointments.

To help complete the final phase of its transformation, the IKA has launched a dedicated online fundraising campaign at www.supportkidneycentre.ie aimed at supporting the Centre’s €1.3 million renovation and fit-out and ensuring that it remains a safe, convenient, and sustainable place of rest and support run by the organisation and free of charge to families from across Ireland.

With a fundraising target of €250,000 for the renovation, the campaign invites the public, corporate partners, and supporters to help restore this essential resource for the kidney community.

First opened in March 2000, the NKSC is located on the grounds of Beaumont Hospital, home to the HSE’s National Kidney Transplant Service, and is conveniently situated less than 200 meters from the hospital’s front doors. The Centre is owned and operated by the Irish Kidney Association and is funded through public fundraising.

Patients from outside of the Dublin commuter belt typically stay while attending clinic appointments related to their kidney health at Beaumont Hospital, CHI at Temple Street or Crumlin Children’s hospital. The facilities are also available to kidney patients, and families, attending Beaumont hospital as out-patients.

The Centre closed in March 2020, when it was temporarily sequestered by Beaumont Hospital in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was formally returned to the Irish Kidney Association in November 2024 and is now undergoing a full refurbishment to meet modern standards and continue serving kidney patient and their families for decades to come.

The Centre, when reopened, will once again provide kidney patients and their families with free, safe overnight accommodation and day-time refuge, easing the physical, emotional, and financial strain of treatment away from home.

Crucially, the National Kidney Support Centre (NKSC) helps alleviate financial pressures on already burdened patients and their families, removing the costs of hotels, overnight parking, and extended or unnecessary travel all of which add up over time.

The refurbished National Kidney Support Centre will continue to be operated by the Irish Kidney Association. Its renewed mission is to carry on being a welcoming “home away from home” for those living with kidney disease. It will offer free overnight accommodation, free day-time tea and coffee as well as self-catering facilities, and a calm, caring and safe environment. Day visitors, including those attending for home dialysis training or treatment at Beaumont Hospital, awaiting test results, attending outpatient appointments, or between early morning bloods and afternoon consultations, will benefit from a calm, infection-aware setting away from the hospital’s clinical environment.

The upgraded Centre will include:

• A mix of twin, double, and family overnight ensuite bedrooms
• A communal open-plan kitchen, dining and living area
• A multipurpose community room for events and support groups
• A dedicated counselling room, alternative treatments room and meditation space
• Landscaped garden offering a peaceful outdoor retreat
• Limited carparking

The Support Centre will employ experienced staff trained to support kidney patients and their families.

With a strong focus on environmental sustainability, the National Kidney Support Centre is being future-proofed with features such as solar panels, air-to-water heat pumps, high-grade insulation, and greywater recycling systems, ensuring the Centre is both environmentally responsible and comfortable for its guests.

To help complete the refurbishment and fully equip the National Kidney Support Centre, the Irish Kidney Association has launched a dedicated fundraising campaign. The bespoke fundraising website www.supportkidneycentre.ie gives individuals, families, and businesses the chance to:

• Choose to gift from a menu of items needed to fit out the Centre (from bedding or kitchen utensils, to furniture)
• Purchase a voucher for the Centre in amounts from €20 upwards
• Corporate Giving packages from €5,000 upwards

To ensure that the public support has the greatest impact, and to avoid duplication, the IKA can only accept items purchased for the Centre through its fundraising website www.supportkidneycentre.ie. All items purchased through the website will be supplied and delivered directly to the National Kidney Support Centre at the appropriate time, helping to streamline the fit-out process and ensuring supporters generosity has the greatest impact.

Whether buying a set of teaspoons or a bed, funding a fit out of the counselling room, or contributing to a larger bedroom or recreational area refurbishment, all support will help ensure that the National Kidney Support Centre continues to offer dignity, comfort, care, and a safe haven to kidney patients and their families for years to come.

Carol Moore, Chief Executive of the IKA explained, “There are over 5,000 patients living with end-stage kidney disease in Ireland, with just over half of them living with a functioning kidney transplant and the remainder receiving dialysis treatment. The National Kidney Support Centre plays a crucial role in supporting this diverse community, coming from across the country. during their often-complex and challenging treatment journeys.”

"The Support Centre has always been more than just a building. It's a space where people come together, where vulnerability meets compassion, and where patients find peace, connection, and understanding. With the public’s help, we can reopen the doors to this sanctuary and make it even better than before. We are deeply grateful for the continued support of the public to help us reinstate the National Kidney Support Centre and sustain the vital range of services we provide.”

Attending a photocall at the Support Centre to help launch the fundraising website were family members of transplant recipients who previously availed of the Centre along with renal nurse specialists and transplant coordinators from Beaumont Hospital.

The O’Shea family from Killorglin, Co Kerry were up bright and early to catch a 5.05 am train to Dublin for 15-year-old kidney transplant recipient Clodagh’s appointment at CHI Temple Street before travelling over to the Support Centre to take part in the photocall.

Her kidney donor father Tim shared, “In October 2016, I donated a kidney to my daughter Clodagh, who was just six years old at the time. Now 15, she’s thriving, but our journey through kidney disease has been long and difficult. However, the IKA’s National Kidney Support Centre was always there as a lifeline. Living in Kerry, we faced 640 kilometres round trip to Dublin for her care. The Centre gave us a safe, supportive place to stay near the hospitals, easing the burden of travel, especially during early morning appointments.

When I was being screened as a donor, the Centre supported me too. On transplant day, I had surgery at Beaumont while Clodagh was in Temple Street. At what was a time of great uncertainty, having the Support Centre there to allow our family to be close by was a great comfort for all of us. Even now, we benefit from the IKA’s provision of interim accommodation when attending regular check-ups in Dublin. As Clodagh moves to adult care, knowing this support continues brings huge peace of mind. I’ll always be grateful to the IKA and the Centre. It gave our family dignity, comfort, and hope during our hardest times.”

Kidney transplant recipient Aoife Adams from Dundalk, Co Louth, attended the photocall with her daughters Sophia (7) and Isabelle (2) and her parents Margaret and Frankie Watters. Aoife, is a lecturer at Dundalk IT, Aoife’s brother Daniel Watters donated a kidney to her at Beaumont Hospital in February 2020. Aoife shared, “Our parents, partners and my then two-year-old daughter Sophia were able to stay in the IKA Support Centre the night before and for a number of days after the transplant in February 2020. They had a direct link to the ward to check on us and were close by so they could easily visit. For me, it was really comforting to know they were close by and travelling was one less thing they had to worry about. The IKA Support Centre becomes a home from home for so many kidney patients.”

Also attending the photocall was Therese Daly from Athboy, Co Meath who underwent a kidney transplant from a deceased donor in 2001 and when it failed, her brother Cathal Egan stepped up to donate a kidney to her at Beaumont Hospital in 2015. Therese shared, “Our family availed of overnight accommodation at the Support Centre. After my second transplant, I went on to have two children, my first son, Cathal (now 9), named after my kidney donor brother, and my second son, Aaron (now 7). I regularly used the IKA’s Support Centre while attending appointments at Beaumont Hospital. It was a calm and safe place to rest, especially when my immunity was low, making it a better option than waiting around at the hospital. It also gave me the chance to meet others on a similar health journey. It truly was a home away from home. It was exactly what my family and I needed. I’m excited about the reopening of centre next year. "

Pat Kilgannon, a father of two and a farmer, from Templeboy, County Sligo is enjoying the successful longevity of a kidney transplant he received from his sister Sarah in November 1984. Pat had travelled from Sligo for an appointment at Beaumont Hospital and dropped over to the Support Centre to attend the photocall. He said, “My sister Sarah flew home from the US in 1984 to save my life, nearly 41 years on, I’m still here thanks to her. Out of twelve siblings, Sarah was the only match. I’ll never forget what she did for me. When the Support Centre opened in 2000, it was a game changer. There were no early trains to get me to Dublin in time for morning blood tests, so being able to stay the night before made all the difference. I’d fast, go for my tests, then return to the Centre to rest, have a cup of tea and eat while waiting for results. It took so much pressure off. I still attend regular appointments — and I really look forward to the Centre’s return.”

The IKA’s dedicated fundraising website www.supportkidneycentre.ie features a menu of items that supporters can gift to help furnish and equip the Centre. For corporate sponsorship enquiries, please contact us at nksc@ika.ie or call 01 620 5306.