Welcome to the Order of St Camillus Website for the Anglo-Irish Province.
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The Nursing Centre

Welcome to

ST CAMILLUS NURSING CENTRE

Killucan - Co. Westmeath - Ireland

Killucan

The Nursing Centre, grounds and Chapel

We are proud to be a Catholic, Not-For-Profit, facility caring for 57 Older People since 1976

As well as this, we work closely with the North Westmeath Hospice Foundation and offer both Palliative and Respite care for people coming to the end of their life

However, members of the religious community have been caring for people in the locality since 1935

Please scroll down our webpage to find out more

 

If you are considering long or short-term care for either yourself or a relative contact us at

(00353) 044-9374196 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

We are pleased to discuss possible admissions and would be very happy to arrange for you to visit us

 

USEFUL INFORMATION 

 

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

 Click here to read our Statement of Purpose

THE FAIR DEAL

Care is usually part or wholly funded by the Irish state - Click here to find out more about the Nursing Home Support Scheme

 

HOW TO FIND US

Click here for the Google Maps reference - We are between Mullingar and Kinnegad, off the N4

 

H.I.Q.A.

We are regulated by the Health Information & Quality Authority - Click here for their website

 

 

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To mark the Fourth Centenary of the death of St Camillus in 1614 we have been creating a Sensory Peace Garden in the courtyard at the centre of the first part of the Nursing Centre. It contains plants, shrubs, flowers and trees that people can see, feel, smell, hear and taste

It provides a safe place to sit and wander and includes an enclosed sitting area where one can be alone to sit and think

A new, Irish designed, statue of St Camillus has been created in bronze and takes pride of place in the central sitting area

The residents, their loved ones and members of the Camillian Family attended the recent blessing and opening

Many people have helped to create the garden including Artist Bob Quinn, Horticulturalist Jodie Murray. Together with Chris Glynn, Paddy Connaughton, Pat Lynam & Paul Wilson

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 Pictures courtesy of Joe Duffy & Marion MacKenzie

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MAY, THE MONTH OF OUR LADY. HERE ARE SOME OF THE RESIDENTS WHO HAVE DECORATED THE MAY BUSH AND HONOURED OUR LADY BY SINGING SOME TRADITIONAL AND WELL KNOWN HYMNS 

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Residents together with their loved ones and friends enjoyed a really enjoyable Christmas Season

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The Camillian Lay Family prepared over 15 really super Christmas Hampers for people in need

A very big thank you to everyone who contributed

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Lillie with some of the Christmas hampers

Our residents enjoyed an afternoon of Christmas shopping, thanks to Gildea's Pharmacy. We had a real atmosphere of Christmas with scented candles, Christmas music, tinsel and Christmas baubles

Lots of fun was had as the residents, who couldn't get to the shops, found Christmas presents for friends and family

We are very grateful to John Gildea, Ruairi, Janet and Brigid for their great help and enthusiasm in making this a terrific event for all of us

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Marie and Holly come to see us every week, here they are with Brigid

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The Mullingar Lions Club are regular visiters. We are all really grateful for their great afternoons of music and dancing. Here they are presenting the chairperson of the Residents Committee, Carmel, with a donation towards the bingo group

 

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   Some of the residents have found hidden talents at the art classes. Here are a few new pictures of the class, preparing for Christmas

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Lots of people help to create a home for the residents at St. Camillus

Here are a few of them

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Olivia and Martina, helping to care for the residents

 

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Fr. Nik helps us in all sorts of ways

 

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Frs. Martin and Baby, we are very fortunate to have daily Mass

 

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Patricia and Anne

 

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Mary & Ann, keeping us neat and tidy

 

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The First of May heralds the first day of Summer! Albeit with a few drops of rain!

The residents marked the occasion by continuing the ancient Celtic custom of decorating a Hawthorn Bush

 

Here are some photographs of

Carmel, Fr Frank, May, Brigid, Tess and Josie decorating our May Bush

 

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Over the past 18 months we have been undertaking a major upgrading project of the Nursing Centre, which is now nearing completion. Providing a new and improved environment for the residents and their loved ones

 All our bedrooms are now either twin or single, most with an ensuite bathroom. We have new sitting areas too and a large and bright atrium off the front hall as well as a new internal courtyard in which to sit on a sunny day. Here are some pictures of the work we've been doing

We asked some of the residents if we could photograph their rooms and they were delighted that they feature on the website

 

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Betty, Annie and Anne

 

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Our new bedrooms are spacious, 18.5 meters sq.

 

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The ensuite bathrooms are fully wheelchair friendly and adapted to people who need a bit of support. They are 6.5 meters sq.

 

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A new sitting area

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Josie, Mary and Paddy

 

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The newly completed Front Atrium

 

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Our statue of St. Camillus in the Front Atrium

 

 

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Mary and Josie

 

 

 

If you would like to make an enquiry about our care, call us on (00353) 044-9374196 or email us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

 

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Fr. Stephen Foster, from the North of England and the Provincial Superior of the Anglo-Irish Province, has taken over the role of Registered Provider of the Nursing Centre on behalf of the Order. The Regisrered Provider is the person with overall legal responsibility for the residential service. He takes over from Fr. Frank, who will now concentrate on the Pastoral Care of the residents and staff as well as remaining the Superior of the Killucan Community.

Fr. Stephen joins the existing Management Team of Marie Keaney, Administrator, Brother John O'Brien, Director of Nursing and Person in Charge and Yvonne Lynam, Assistant Director of Nursing.

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Fr. Stephen Foster,MI

 

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Mothering Sunday

 

Here are a some pictures of our day in celebration of the wonderful gift of motherhood and, of course, grandmothers!

 

We Pray for all Mothers and Grandmothers today:

Oh Mary, on this day when we honour all mothers, we turn to you. We thank the Lord for the great gift of motherhood. Never has it been known that anyone who sought your intercession was left unaided. Dear Mother, thank you for your “Yes” to the invitation of the angel which brought heaven to earth. You opened yourself to God’s word and the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. AMEN

  Marion

Thanks to Marion for the lovely flowers and napkins in the dining room

 

Chrissie Pauls

 

Pauline and Lizzie

Carmel

Bernie

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Pictures used with permission

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  As part of our ongoing upgrading, we have been doing a spot of painting and decorating recently

Here are a few pictures of our newly decorated dining room

Dining room

 

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 The Rebuschini Room, our second dining room

Our menus are planned to suit both the tastes of the resident and their medical needs, such as diabetes. We also work closely with the local Speech and Language Department of the HSE to ensure the safety of residents who may expereince swallowing problems.

 

 

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Two pictures of the Mass on the occasion of the visit of the Relic of the Heart of St. Camillus

Mass is celebrated daily at 10.30am in our chapel. Relatives and friends are very welcome to join us. Sunday Mass brings a congregation of abound 150 people from the local community, we believe this keeps the residents in touch with their friends and neighbours and the local community. Both residents and relatives find the chapel a haven of peace and quiet reflection. 

 

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One of our sitting rooms

 

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A place to pause and rest, on the way into the Chapel

 

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Mary and Adrienne, our shop-keepers who offer a mobile shop service to our residents every Thursday

 

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Ann, who offers our residents regular Aromatherapy Sessions

 

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 Sue, one of the Palliative Care Nurse Specialists with the North Westmeath Hospice, who regularly visit the Centre

At St. Camillus we are fortunate to offer their in-patient care

 

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Our friend "Holly" comes to visit the residents every Friday.

Pictures used with permission

 

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Just before the Heart of St. Camillus came to Killucan the residents decided to plant a tree as a memorial of the event. Pictures of the planting of their tree are further down this page. They have now organised a marble plaque to be placed at the foot of the tree. On a beautiful autumn morning, after Mass, Fr. Frank blessed this plaque. Here are some pictures of the event.

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The Plaque at the foot of the tree

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Fr. Frank blessing the plaque

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Some of our residents

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More of our residents at the blessing, well wrapped up against the autumn chill

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The Sacred Relic of the Heart of St. Camillus arrived in Killucan on 9th July. Here are some photographs of our celebrations. The Heart arrived in Westmeath from Dublin airport with a Garda escort. About 100 local people came, in the pouring rain, to welcome the heart of our founder. Over the next five days over 25,000 people came to our chapel to venerate the saint.

Pictures courtesy of Mr. James Wimms and Mr. Nick Murray

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The Relic, in its Neo-Classical reliquary, was moved into the larger Nursing Centre chapel on the morning of 10th July. On 14th July, the Feast Day of St. Camillus, we were honoured to welcome Bishop Michael Smith, Bishop of Meath, to celebrate the Feast Day Mass, along with many of our neighbouring priests together with a congregation of over 400 people.

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Most Rev. Michael Smith, Bishop of Meath

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The Reliquary containing the Heart of St. Camillus is one of a pair. They are made of gilded silver, in the Neo-Classical style and were manufactured in the late 18th Century.

The matching reliquary contains a piece of bone from one of the saint's legs. Today they are kept either side of the altar in the room at the Mother House of the Order in Rome where he died on July 14th, 1614.

They have recently undergone extensive restoration and now look as they did when they were made, over 200 years ago. Here is a picture of the second reliquary containing a bone of St. Camillus

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THE PREPARATIONS BEGAN MANY WEEKS BEFORE THE RELIC ARRIVED. MANY PEOPLE PREPARED TO WELCOME THE RELIC OF THE HEART OF SAINT CAMILLUS TO KILLUCAN

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Bro. John, Fr. Noel, Bro. Augustine, Bro. Richard, and Fr. Frank in the grounds of the Nursing Centre chapel. The Grounds have been totally renovated over the past few weeks by a team of local people who have been extraordinary in giving their time and industry.

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In front of the Nursing Centre minibus, which has been adapted to transport the precious Relic of the Heart of St. Camillus. Here are some images of a few of the many local people who have been so generous with their time and industry

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Our residents decided to help prepare of the visit of the Relic too. They decided to plant a tree, which they have chosen, to commemorate the visit of the Relic. Here are some images of the planting ceremony. It will provide a lasting momento of the occasion for many years to come.

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Here are some more pictures of our Nursing Centre

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The Chapel - at the heart of the Nursing Centre

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The residents, together with Brigid and Fr. Frank, who helped to restore the Square

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Valarie, our Horticulturist, pruning an overgrown Bay tree in the Square

 

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Some of our residents with Senorita Maria, our Spanish visitor, together with Bro. John, Lillie and Paddy

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Enjoying the lovely sunshine

 

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Jim Ward, one of our Garden volunteers with Therese and Martha

 

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Nancy Bennett, Nancy Barry and Jim

 

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Some of the group together with Maureen

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Miss Elizabeth Cooney with her family

 

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Fr Frank, Betty and the gardening group

 

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Jodie with her team replanting one of the flower beds infront of the Chapel

 

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The front Drive

 

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New planting around the Chapel

 

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The Canal running through our grounds is a 19th century tributary of the Rive Deel

 

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The Community House

 

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The Inner Courtyard

 

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Organising outdoor tables and chairs

 

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Mr Tom Goggarty, enjoy the sunshine

 

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The Front Rose Garden and Patio

 

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Little Pippin with May and Aine who visit our residents every week.

 

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The Courtyard Fountain

 

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Mr Ned McCann who keeps an eye on our goldfish

 

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Paddy Connaughton, always on hand to fix our mistakes!

 

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Breakfast. Lto R:  Nancy, Nancy, Truda, Martha

 

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Lillie and Alice

 

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Joan and Catherine - House Keeping

 

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Anne, Mary & Brenda - House Keeping.

 

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Yvonne - Our Assistant Director of Nursing

 

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Annie, keeping body and soul togtether!

 

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Amanda, organising resident menus

 

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Kathleen; the morning medication round

 

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Patty, Janice and Mags

 

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Members of staff presenting a donation from their Social Club Fund for Haiti

 

We work closely with the North Westmeath Hospice to provide In-Patient Services to people of all ages.

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Three members of the North Westmeath Hospice Team: Aoife, Ger & Sue.

Click here to access the Hospice Website

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Detail of one of the stained glass windows by Geo. Walshe

If you would like more information about the care we provide at the Nursing Centre, please contact:

St. Camillus Nursing Centre, Killucan, Co.Westmeath. Tel: (044) 9374196

Click here to return to the Killucan home page