Central Mental Hospital
National Forensic Mental Health Service
Shown in Ireland
Geography
Location	Portrane, Dublin, Ireland
Coordinates	53°28′48″N 6°07′19″W / 53.48°N 6.122°W / 53.48; -6.122
Organisation
Funding	Government hospital
Type	Specialist
Religious affiliation	Non-denominational
Services
Beds	84
Speciality	Secure psychiatric hospital
History
Opened	1850 (old facility) 2020 (new facility)
Links
Website	https://www.hse.ie/eng/national-forensic-mental-health-service-portrane/

The Central Mental Hospital (Irish: An Príomh-Oispidéal Meabhar-Ghalar) is a mental health facility housing forensic patients in Portrane, Dublin, Ireland. The hospital, along with a community day centre for outpatients at Usher's Island, forms part of the National Forensic Mental Health Service.

History

The hospital originally opened as the Central Criminal Lunatic Asylum for Ireland at Dundrum in Dublin in 1850. This was an early move of an ideological initiative throughout the United Kingdom and its colonies which included the building of the infamous Broadmoor Hospital in England.^[1] The site was originally chosen to be soothing to mental health patients and was intentionally not linked to any particular prison service to maintain the distinction between criminality and illness.^[2]

The Health Service Executive (HSE) announced in February 2012 that the hospital would relocate to the former site of the old St. Ita's Hospital in Portrane in the north of County Dublin.^[3] The construction works were undertaken by Rhatigan OHL at a cost of €140 million.^[4] The new facility opened in November 2022.^[5]