The care was second to none while in the hospital. The Nurses were very good to me. The meals…read moresurprised me they were very nice, sometimes the veg looked a bit steamed but was edible.

It's odd but when I thought about reflecting the experience here the first thing that struck me was…read morethat there's likely 20 different trade unions representing members in this employment: consultants, doctors, radiographers, nurses, boiler-men, podiatrists, junior clerical, senior management and so on. We were here to visit a relative experiencing real challenges. He got a heart - related device implanted several weeks ago: AF, cardiomyopathy. Once fitted, he took himself off to southern Spain allegedly to relax which he tells me included extensive exertion swimming long distances in the sea every morning. The upshot after a few weeks was he developed an infection in the surgical wound that led to Spanish hospital admission. Once fit to fly he returned home on a Saturday, presenting to the private hospital that fitted the device on a Monday. He's there now four weeks. I suppose there's no fool like an old fool after all. They've apparently thrown out the first €12k device. They'll put in another at €12k once his infections, that following a TEE procedure also confirmed a heart infection, clear up; with the help of pretty sizeable antibiotic doses. The Irish Republic has an American - based medical system thanks to a numbskull politician Mary Harney; it also has huge housing, education and immigration problems. Mary is now 71 and may soon learn first hand how awful the health system is for 99% of the population. All she needs is one serious illness to empty her bank accounts: doctors must have their pockets stuffed with gold. The American system gives most Irish people the worst of all worlds despite paying a lot of money. They aren't treated on clinical need rather and usually via pricy insurance on ability to pay. Despite good health insurance our relative now has to find at least €40,000 and counting from his own resources this year. That would make one ill. The hospital is grotty, third world, chaotically run, with a Starbucks cafe in the main concourse that on top of already rip-off prices forces customers to use paper cups then adds 35 cents to the daylight robbery price for each cup. There is only one out of three toilets working here. A hospital, and the only one for miles around, has one working toilet for a lot of footfall and security staff that don't have English as a first language, taking the brunt of understandably unhappy people. They are the only folks prepared to take these low wage, crap, thankless jobs. If immigration stopped so would this badly broken health service that only helps fill the overseas bank accounts of multi millionaires and billionaires. The lily livered politicians are in fear and hock to these people instead of taxing and regulating them properly. Add to this mess Apple: not the fruit that keeps doctors away but the American mega company and the European Court of Justice who ruled Apple must pay Ireland €14 billion. It's a long story worth googling, there's a history here as Apple didn't want to pay and Irish politicians didn't want to receive. Yip it seems an Apple that pays keeps investment away. I think the politicians just don't know how to waste that amount of money. So the hospital reflects Ireland. It looks great from afar but up close it's broken. They can't even organise enough cataract operations to help repair their elderly citizens that built the country. Now it's a mini America. The politicians are useless so nothing will change. While they bungle, bluster and cock up most things (while enriching themselves) the mega companies, foreign and local millionaires and billionaires stuff the Caymans and such places with enough money from the great unwashed to make the €14 billion look like crumbs on the balance sheet. As for me I better stop visiting ill relatives in badly broken hospitals in a very badly run country.

Echoing Karina C's review, Michaels rarely seems to be busy. I'm sure they are, but they hide it…read morewell. You're never waiting very long, not even in A & E. I broke my arm on the pier when I was about ten, and my toe when I was about seventeen, but don't remember ever even having to queue here. It's an old hospital, with everything you'd expect from an old hospital; narrow corridors, lots of wood and Georgian style tiles. From an access point of view it's in the middle of Dun Laoghaire. The bus stops right in front of it. Parking may be a bit of a problem though, as there is no carpark worth talking about. I doubt it has a cafeteria, given the amount of restaurants in the immediate vicinity. If in doubt, Dunphy's across the road offers one of the finest pints in Dublin. There's also a weekend clinic if your GP is unavailable or you want a second opinion.

Luckily I don't really have any experince with hospitals. But having heard rather negative stories…read moreabout waiting times, I was nervous enough when my GP sent me for ECG and blood pressure tests. But I was very pleasantly surprised by St. Michaels. I walked there as I wasn't sure about the parking situation (and ended up never really investigating that further). The staff at reception was very friendly and helpful and there was basically no waiting time at all for my tests and again very friendly nurses and doctors that made me feel at ease. At a later point I went to the Outpatient Department for further tests and the same here. Friendly, well organised and competent. I felt very well looked after and everyone spoke to me in a language I could understand - bearing in mind English is not my mother tonque.

This building is a beauty to look at it, an excellent example of Victorian architecture in the…read morecity. It's striking red brick facade and high spires make it the most striking landmark on Upper Baggot street. It was built in 1832 and part of it's history involved treating wounded soldiers from the first World War. Nowadays it offers services for mental health, physiotherapy and addiction treatment. Well worth the 15-20min walk from the top of Grafton street. It overlooks a gaggle of coffee shops, so you can enjoy a drink and admire the building. The canal is a stones throw away so afterwards you could take a potter down there.

There aren't many buildings as spooky as this anywhere, add to this that it's a hospital, and a war…read morehospital too ... brrrr ... is it cold in here? ... did you here that? Yep, when I make a horror film with Nicole Kidman I'll set it here. In fact, Rosemary's Baby would've worked as well here as that spooky place in New York they found. As a Dubliner you can be inclined not to mention buildings like this despite walking past them everyday. So, next time look up and check out the cool weathered copper look-out tower and hope that you never get locked in during a storm.

Is is possible to give a minus 1. I am an Aortic Dissection survivor & presented at the ED with…read morechest pain & similar symptoms to my original dissection. I was probed by the ED doctor as to why I didn't go to my GP. The GP would have sent me to the ED anyway because a contrast CT scan is one of the only way to rule our in RHC diagnose an Aortic Dissection. I was shocked when I was handed a form to bring for a CT contrast scan & told walk down to the radiology department without any staff to aid or assist. Dreadful, telling a patient who may be experiencing an AD to walk unaided down two floors. Anything could have happened to me & without medical supervision. Aortic Dissection is so often misdiagnosed can lead to a fatality. I am currently sitting here Waiting to be called for my scan in pain and worried incase I am dissecting again. :(

I attempted to sort the error made by reception radiology which did overcharge for my scan. There…read moreare already 5 months since the scan. I wish to advise that one lady Holly did engage in a very condescending manner and not willing at all to help sorting the matter. She was extremely rude and unhelpful. With this attitude"I know it all" I do not think she is suitable to deal with people that engage with this department in Beacon hospital, Dublin.

The best hospital in Dublin! It has the personal touch every patient needs...read more