Susie Long Hospice Fund Supports Cois Nore’s new ‘Extra Care’ programme

for people with late-stage cancer

Two Kilkenny charities have come together to provide a specific support programme for people with late-stage cancers, and their families. The Susie Long Hospice Fund will support the programme, which will be delivered by Cois Nore. The service will be provided free of charge.

The programme was developed by Cois Nore in 2024 as a response to an identified need for additional supports for people with late-stage cancer. Cois Nore saw an increase in the number of people approaching the service in the later stages of cancer following the Covid pandemic. The Susie Long Hospice Fund have stepped in to support the programme with funding from 2025 to 2028.

In addition to Cois Nore’s current services a person availing of the Extra Care Programme may have an additional 10 sessions in total of therapy for a person with cancer and/or up to 5 sessions of therapy for a family member. Therapies include counselling and reflexology with group supports also currently being developed.

The Susie Long Hospice Fund Chairperson, Conor MacLiam said

“We are delighted to partner with Cois Nore to deliver extra cancer support services to those who need it. The type of support to be provided by Cois Nore aligns really well with our own objectives in relation to palliative care and we have agreed that the funding we are providing will be ring-fenced for the Extra Care Programme”.

Bill Cuddihy, Cois Nore Chairperson, commented

“We appreciate the Susie Long Hospice Fund support for this new initiative. We are responding to an identified need, and our ambition is to continue to develop and deliver our services, and we are gearing up for the development of our new home on the Waterford Road”.

Anyone wishing to find out more, or wishing to help with fundraising for Cois Nore can visit www.coisnore.ie

A NEW family room and an education bursary for staff in St Luke’s General Hospital Kilkenny are some of the new measures being funded by a local charity on the 16th anniversary of Susie Long’s death.

The Susie Long Hospice Fund (SLHF) has entered a new five-year agreement with St Luke’s General Hospital Kilkenny to substantially improve end-of-life care for all patients including palliative care patients.

[Read More] | Download as PDF

Willie Meighan

Willie Meighan, long time Hospice Fund Committee member and Treasurer, passed away on November 28, 2017. His death left a huge void in the lives of all who knew him and the Hospice Fund lost a great champion and colleague.

The following eulogy was delivered at Willie's funeral by his close friend and fellow committee member, Malcolm Noonan. Click below to read the full text.

“At ten to eight on November 2nd, Willie posted on Facebook

‘If you have any happy stories of times or memories, we’ve shared together, post below or PM me. Thanks in advance’.

What followed was what can only be described as an avalanche of stories…” 

Conor Mac Liam and Paul Colfer (SLHF) recently spoke to Eimear Ni Bhraonain on KCLR Live. Listen below

Benefits of Kilkenny Hospice

When operational, the Hospice will provide Palliative Care services to the people of Kilkenny and Carlow, including:

• appropriate care in a suitable environment for terminally ill people
• access to multidisciplinary specialist services
• access to respite care
• a place where the terminally ill of all ages will find the comfort and tranquillity of a home-like environment, rather than a busy acute care hospital setting
• a place where terminally ill patients will be able to die with dignity, surrounded only by caring staff  and loved ones
• day-care services
• outpatient clinics
• the opportunity for more people to be discharged from hospital settings to their preferred place of care – the home.

All rooms will be single, en-suite.

Why Hospice Care?

Around 50% of people who die, do so in acute hospitals. This environment is totally unsuitable to the needs of the patient and their families as, often:

→ they are surrounded by noise and trauma
→ out of necessity, they are placed in overcrowded, public settings
→ there simply is no privacy in which to die in dignity

Currently, the only hospice provision in Kilkenny is by the Home Care Team, which provides excellent care but are severely over-stretched and under-funded.

For the lucky few who are fortunate enough to secure a place at one of the few existing hospices in Ireland, there are still difficulties associated with being far from home:

→ For the Patient: Stress of separation from family
→ For family and friends: Burden of constantly travelling long distances and living out of home

These add tremendously to the pressure and strain of the situation for everyone. With the provision of a dedicated hospice in St. Luke’s Hospital, Kilkenny, the Susie Long Hospice Fund aims for as many people as possible to have the calm, peaceful and supportive environment at the end of their lives which everyone deserves.

About us

The Susie Long Hospice Fund was set up as a Trust in October 2007 and obtained charitable status in 2008 (charity no. CHY17950)

We are a voluntary committee based in Kilkenny.

Our accounts are audited annually by DeLoughry and O’Gorman, Accountants, Kilkenny and anyone is welcome to view them in full.

Help Susie Long Hospice Fund

THERE ARE A NUMBER OF WAYS IN IN WHICH YOU CAN HELP US TO RAISE FUNDS TO BUILD A HOSPICE IN KILKENNY:

• Make a donation through your local bank

• Make a donation through our IDonate page
• Plan a fundraising event