Bessboro House and its demesne has been a therapeutic campus for many years under the auspices of the Sacred Heart Sisters, who still live in the 18th century house. A Maternity Hospital and Chapel were built in the 1920s, and these two buildings are now the site of a new project by the HSE (Health Services Executive) to build facilities for children and young people with mental health difficulties. The project seeks -by engulfing the older buildings – to change their nature, reversing patterns of use and expectation. There is a new entrance block on the north side and a sweep of new rooms around a garden

on the south,linking the former chapel and the old hospital building with a strong canopy. New areas are clad in timber with zinc roofs, roof lights and large areas of glazing bringing light deep into the plans. Twenty In-Patient bedrooms, including intensive care facilities, are located at first floor; therapy/treatment rooms and social areas are at ground level, stretching into the garden. Across the open playspace, the former chapel becomes a gym , its form engulfed by new classrooms,to allow young people who are in the unit for a period of a few months to follow normal educational programmes.