The first new private hospital project in Dublin for two decades is under way after healthcare group Bon Secours bought a south county site near the M50 motorway in a multimillion-euro deal.
The purchase of the 1.55-hectare (3.83-acre) property at Cherrywood, concluded very recently, sets in motion planning for a new hospital complex by the group that is already the largest private health provider in the State.
The site – near Wyattville Road – is considered attractive for hospital development because of its proximity to the motorway network. The two most recently established private hospitals in Dublin – the Beacon at Sandyford and the Hermitage Clinic near Lucan – are adjacent to the M50.
“As part of the next stage of our growth, we can confirm that we have acquired a site in Cherrywood, Co Dublin,” said Bon Secours Health System (the hospital group) in reply to questions.
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The group said the site “offers multiple opportunities for the future provision of healthcare in south Dublin and the surrounding areas”, but it declined to elaborate.
“At this very early stage, plans are still being developed and it would be premature to comment on the scale, scope and timing of any future development.”
Although it cannot yet be stated when Bon Secours group expects to complete construction, the project is likely to be the biggest move in private healthcare in Dublin since Australian financial services giant Macquarie entered the market in 2024.
Macquarie acquired the Beacon in a €342 million deal with businessman Denis O’Brien, who was owned 80 per cent of the hospital which opened in 2006.
The new Bon Secours site is within the Cherrywood strategic development zone in the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council area. This means it benefits from a special designation made in 2010 to streamline planning across 360 hectares of undeveloped land at the foot of the Dublin mountains.
Senior property figures familiar with current valuations in Dublin said a 1.55-hectare site with residential zoning at Cherrywood would be expected to realise between €4.5 million and €6.5 million. However, on Friday Bon Secours said the site has strategic urban employment zoning, which permits healthcare development.
Bon Secours already operates a hospital in Glasnevin, north Dublin, and hospitals in Cork, Galway and Tralee, Co Kerry. The group’s new €213 million Limerick hospital was officially opened in March.
The Irish operation is part of the Bon Secours Mercy Health Group, which is based in Cincinnati, Ohio, in the United States.
In its most recent accounts, the Irish entity said it incurred a €4.8 million pretax loss in 2024 on revenue of €478.9 million. The loss was driven by a €10.3 million write-down from the value of land and buildings.
* This story was amended on Friday, September 25th, to reflect new information on zoning provided by Bon Secours Health System
