Building on Cancer Fund for Children’s second Daisy Lodge Therapeutic Centre to Commence in July 2025
Following a public procurement process, we are delighted to announce that the tender for the construction of our second Daisy Lodge, therapeutic short break centre to be built in Cong, Co. Mayo, has been awarded to Connolly and Fee Limited.
Building work on our purpose-built therapeutic centre will commence in July 2025. Once completed Daisy Lodge will provide children from across the island of Ireland who are impacted by cancer, along with their families, with a safe, restorative space where they can focus on spending time together and reconnecting as a family.
In June 2023, the Department of Health announced it would allocate €5 million in capital funding for the project, combined with €2.5 million from the Shared Island Fund. The remaining funds were raised through charitable donations and fundraising.
Children diagnosed with cancer will be referred for therapeutic short breaks by their Cancer Support Specialists, who work across the island and in hospitals in both jurisdictions. Our existing Daisy Lodge, located at the foot of the Mourne Mountains in County Down, currently supports up to 1,800 family members each year. With the addition of our second centre in Mayo, we will double that capacity to support up to 4,000 family members annually.
Site preparation began last year, including the careful clearance of the land under the supervision of an archaeologist and ecologist. A sub-base has been laid for a new access road, car park, the building footprint, and an outdoor play area – all in anticipation of full construction commencing in 2025.
This marks a major milestone for Cancer Fund for Children.
We’re thrilled to begin the next phase of this transformational project and look forward to seeing construction start on this incredible site in July. Our continued collaboration with the Department of Health, the HSE, the Shared Island Fund, the local community, and our generous donors will be key in bringing our vision to life – and we look forward to taking you on this journey with us.
To all our supporters – thank you. Your belief in us will help us create a special place that will make a life-changing difference to families impacted by childhood cancer.
Phil Alexander, CEO of Cancer Fund for Children
Connolly & Fee is delighted to be undertaking the build of Daisy Lodge, Mayo. For our team, this is much more than a construction project, the purpose holds personal weight for many of us, and it is a privilege to be a part of something that will deliver immeasurable benefits to families navigating cancer. We are looking forward to working in tandem with Cancer Fund for Children’s team, the local Cong community, and wider stakeholders. It is our hope that we can actively engage local supply chain partners and construction personnel in the delivery of this project.
Shane Connolly, Director of Connolly & Fee Limited
You can learn more about Cancer Fund for Children and the Daisy Lodge Mayo project here!
