Graham Norton was on hand to present a cheque for €20,000 to Bantry Hospice Project in London this month. Now project volunteers are looking to develop their services even further for all of West Cork’s communities, writes Martin Claffey

THEY say that from small acorns, the mightiest oaks can grow.

The seed of an idea was planted in the mind of Bantry Hospice Project chairman Damian Moloney 16 years ago. What started as a wish to help look after people in Bantry in need of palliative care locally, without having to travel to Cork city, has now grown into something serving the whole West Cork region. 

Bantry Hospice Project was awarded €20,000 at a ceremony at the Irish Embassy in London earlier this month, with TV star and West Cork resident Graham Norton on hand to make the presentation. It’s the latest chapter in a story that has seen €1.6m raised, palliative care facilities providing invaluable care at Bantry Hospital, and outreach services now touch every community across West Cork. 

The inspiration for the project was Conor Morrissey from Bantry, who died 16 years ago. Conor was a popular young man and a friend of Damian Moloney. He died in 2007 from cancer. 

‘Conor really could light up a room. He had such a great personality,’ recalled Damian, who works as a detective garda at Cork Airport in his day job. ‘He was a great friend and he was only 28 when he died. 

‘Friends and family of Conor were having a drink at the Westlodge Hotel after the funeral and Dr Denis Cotter, the local GP, I suppose you could say he used to plant seeds in the mind. He said to me “Moloney, sponsored walk, get on it.”’

Plans were quickly put in place for a sponsored walk for Marymount Hospice. Local support was huge; Conor’s old colleagues from his marketing work in Dublin got on board, college friends rowed in behind. Brigitte Wagner-Halswick, owner of Bantry-based Rowa Pharmaceutical got on board. The walk in Durrus proved an incredible success, raising €40,000.

 Conor’s parents Pat and Eileen had been able to provide care at home so he was able to live his final days at home, without having to go to Cork. ‘I remember when we were on the walk, I was talking to Conor’s mother Eileen, and we said ‘isn’t it a pity there’s no palliative care in Bantry? So we started thinking, why not try to organise to get a hospice unit at Bantry Hospital?’

Working with management at Bantry Hospital, and with advice from the palliative care team at Marymount, they set about chasing their goal. In 2009, two palliative care units were built at Bantry Hospital, at a cost of €280,000.

It was at this time that another local favourite sprinkled some stardust on the project. 

Pat Morrissey and Joe Keane accept a cheque from Noreen and Sean McSweeney after their Christmas lights fundraiser in Drimoleague.

Graham Norton spends his time away from working in London in Ahakista, less than 20kms from Bantry. Dr Cotter and Mrs Wagner were able to get in contact with the BBC TV star who was happy to give his time, and has remained a friend of Bantry Hospital Project. ‘He  performed the opening of the units, and he had the whole place in the palm of his hands. We’ve fostered a great relationship with him since. He’s very giving of his time,’ says Damian.

‘What he likes about Ahakista and Bantry is he gets to unwind. People aren’t walking up to him on the street, he’s allowed to be himself and go about his business.’

With the care units built at Bantry Hospital, the Bantry Hospice Project was only beginning, not ending. The Bantry Hospice Project are all volunteers, working in tandem with Ark House and Cancer Connect, with Bantry Hospital and with the West Cork palliative care team. 

‘Joe Keane the manager at Rowa/Rowex is our secretary, Pat Morrissey, father of Conor, is our treasurer. Mrs Wagner is our main sponsor and helps with administration costs, she’s been incredible. There’s a huge behind-the-scenes crew – Eileen O’Shea, Mary Hegarty, Gearoid O’Leary, Claire Hayden our PRO, Niamh O’Driscoll, Maria Wiseman … We are all volunteers, everyone plays a part.

‘Every penny we raise goes back into the services. We help the West Cork palliative care team. We give €10,000 towards social worker services. We provide equipment for people in their homes, we help out with nurse training in palliative care, we give funding for night nurses, we provide care in the home so people who are looking after their loved ones can get some time out.

‘We have a hardship fund and look at donating to individual cases where we think we can help.’ 

The opening of the palliative care units at Bantry Hospital has helped to provide invaluable care to clients and their families in West Cork.

Recently, the family of a man approaching the end of his life wanted to get a special goodbye dinner for their loved one. A fish and chip supper was the simple request. 

‘The family told me that afternoon at the St Joseph’s ward, relaxing with fish and chips and a drink, were a bit of normality in those final days. That’s how they remember those hours,’ said Damian. ‘There’s so many stories like that. When someone falls ill, often the main breadwinner can be affected and the small things can make such a big difference.’  These days, Bantry Hospice Foundation’s work stretches to the whole of West Cork.

‘We’d love community hospitals in West Cork to get in touch with us, and if they see a need for palliative care services, or something they think we could do, we would love to help them,’ said Damian.

‘We’re available to everywhere west of Kinsale really … Clonakilty, Skibbereen, Beara, the Mizen, into west Kerry,’ said Damian.

Dr Denis Cotter planted a seed that day at Conor’s funeral back in 2007. ‘The Doc’ always seemed to be involved somewhere as the Bantry Hospice Project developed.

Dr Cotter passed away in 2019. But he was able to make use of the great services of Bantry Hospice at the palliative care unit he helped to build. 

So, too, did Eugie Cronin, another driving force in the Bantry Hospice Project and a former board member. 

‘It was so sad to lose both of them, but in another way, it was also so nice that they were able to be looked after locally, in the place they helped to build. That was what it was all about.’ 

The mighty oak continues to grow for the people of West Cork.