Foundation History
THE RVEEH IS A CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE FOR OPHTHALMOLOGY AND OTOLARYNGOLOGY
HISTORICAL CONTEXT
The Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital (RVEEH) is Ireland’s national hospital for Eye and Ear, Nose and Throat disorders. It is Ireland’s only dedicated ophthalmic and ENT surgical hospital and treats over 100,000 patients per year. The hospital ranked 1st in the National Patient Experience Survey (National Patient Experience Survey Report, November 2019) and is one of only two public hospitals in Ireland to be accredited by Joint Commission International —the international accreditation body on standards of care in healthcare organisations.
Established
RVEEH was established by amalgamating the National Eye Hospital (founded in 1814 by Isaac Ryall) and St. Mark’s Ophthalmic Hospital for Diseases of the Eye and Ear (founded in 1844 by William Wilde, father of Oscar Wilde). Originally intended to be the Dublin Eye and Ear Hospital, Queen Victoria changed “Dublin” to “Royal Victoria” when she signed the Bill establishing the Hospital in 1897. The Hospital continues to be a Statutory Body under the 1897 Act of the Westminster Parliament. The campaign to create the hospital was spearheaded by ophthalmologist Henry Swanzy who, upon the passing of the 1897 Act, then set about fundraising from the private citizens of Dublin the monies to buy a site and to build the very substantial building on Adelaide Road.
Read our History:
DUBLIN’S EYE & EAR, The Making of a Monument
Vintage Photo Gallery
