Our Story

Hugh’s House was founded in 2015 by Ade Stack and Marty Curley, inspired by the life and legacy of their son, Hugh. Hugh was born with complex medical needs and spent much of his short life in hospital.  During that time, Ade and Marty witnessed the enormous emotional and financial strain placed on families whose children required long-term or specialist treatment in Dublin. Many parents had to travel long distances every day, stay in costly hotels, or even sleep in cars or hospital corridors, all just to remain close to their sick child.  After Hugh’s passing, Ade and Marty wanted to honour his life by helping other families who found themselves in the same situation. Their goal was simple yet deeply compassionate: to create a home away from home for families, where they could stay free of charge, close to their child’s hospital, for as long as needed.  That dream became Hugh’s House, a place built on love, dignity, and community.

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A Home Away from Home

In June 2015, the first Hugh’s House opened its doors at 43 Belvedere Place, Dublin 1. The location was chosen carefully, it’s just a short walk to Temple Street Children’s Hospital and The Rotunda Hospital, and a short bus ride to Holles Street National Maternity Hospital and The Coombe Women & Infants University Hospital.  The house was renovated through the generosity of volunteers, tradespeople, and donors who wanted to help bring the vision to life. With seven family bedrooms, shared kitchens, laundry facilities, and welcoming communal areas, it offered a place where families could find comfort, connection, and a sense of normality during the most difficult times.  In its first year alone, Hugh’s House provided over 3,000 free bed nights to families from across Ireland.  The demand quickly grew, and in 2017, a second house was opened next door at 44 Belvedere Place. This second property also has seven family bedrooms, doubling the total capacity to 14 rooms between the two homes.  Together, the houses now provide over 10,000 free bed nights every year, ensuring that families can remain close to their child’s bedside without the burden of accommodation costs.

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A Community Effort

From the beginning, Hugh’s House has been powered by kindness and community spirit. The charity receives no regular government funding, relying entirely on donations, grants, and fundraising to keep its doors open.  Support comes from generous individuals, companies, schools, and community groups across Ireland who believe in our mission. Every euro raised goes directly toward maintaining the houses, paying utilities, and providing essential supplies, ensuring that the service remains completely free for every family.  A small team of dedicated staff and volunteers manage the homes day to day, providing practical help and emotional support to families during their stay.

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Our Ethos

At Hugh’s House, we believe that every child deserves to have their family close during times of illness, and that no parent should ever have to choose between being near their child and financial hardship.  Our ethos is built on love, compassion, respect, and dignity. We understand that having a child in hospital is one of the hardest experiences a parent can endure. Families who come through our doors are often exhausted and overwhelmed, and we strive to offer them warmth, safety, and understanding.  Hugh’s House is more than a place to stay, it’s a community of care. Families support one another, share stories, and find comfort in knowing they are not alone. Within our walls, hope and kindness grow, even in the most difficult circumstances.

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The Challenge Families Face

For most parents, being close to their sick child isn’t a choice, it’s a necessity. But in Dublin, the cost of accommodation makes that incredibly difficult. The average hotel room in Dublin costs between €150 and €200 per night.  One week of accommodation can reach €1,100 to €1,400, and families who must stay for several weeks or months can face bills of €10,000 to €15,000 or more.

Beyond accommodation, many families face additional pressures, loss of income from taking time off work, the cost of transport, and the challenge of caring for other children at home. Without affordable accommodation, some parents have resorted to sleeping in hospital chairs or cars, or enduring long commutes each day while their child lies in intensive care.

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Our Mission

Our mission is clear and unwavering:

To provide free, safe, and supportive accommodation for families whose children are receiving medical care in Dublin hospitals.

We are committed to:

• Keeping families together for as long as their child needs care.

• Removing financial barriers so that no parent faces hardship to stay near their child.

• Providing comfort and dignity in a homely, welcoming environment.

• Building connection and community among families experiencing similar journeys.

• Working closely with hospital social workers to ensure help reaches those most in need.

When a child becomes seriously ill, their family's world can change overnight.  In Ireland, there are only two paediatric intensive care units, at Children's Health Ireland in Temple Street and Crumlin, providing a total of 32  paediatric ICU beds and an additional 18 neonatal intensive care beds.  This means that families from every corner of Ireland often have to travel to Dublin, sometimes for weeks or even months at a time, while their child receives vital care.

 

Our Impact

Since 2015, Hugh’s House has supported over 1,000 families from every county in Ireland, providing tens of thousands of free bed nights.  Our work saves families an estimated €1 million each year in accommodation and travel expenses, but the real difference we make can’t be measured in numbers, it’s found in the relief, gratitude, and strength of families who can finally rest knowing they are near their child.  Many of those families later return as volunteers, fundraisers, or advocates, helping to sustain the very service that once supported them.

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Our Vision

Our vision is to ensure that no family in Ireland is ever left without a place to stay while their child is in hospital.

We aim to:

• Continue expanding our services to meet growing demand.

• Strengthen partnerships with hospitals, social workers, and healthcare providers.

• Raise awareness of the emotional and financial strain faced by families of sick children.

• Secure long-term funding to guarantee that our support remains free and accessible to all.

Hugh’s House is more than a charity, it’s a living legacy of Hugh, whose life continues to inspire love and compassion.  Every family who walks through our doors becomes part of that legacy, proof that out of one family’s loss, a national community of care and kindness was born.

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Today

Today, Hugh’s House remains entirely charity-funded, sustained by donations, fundraising events, grants, and corporate partnerships. Its continued success is proof of the generosity of the Irish public and the shared understanding that families should be able to stay together during times of illness, regardless of financial circumstance.  Hugh’s House continues to evolve and grow, exploring ways to support even more families in the future, while always staying true to the values of care, dignity, community, and compassion that inspired its founding.