Public (HSE)

St Columba's Hospital

Cloughabrody, Thomastown, R95 YY96

Call 056 772 4178

Fair Deal weekly price

€2,264

HSE cost of care, from 1 September 2026

Registered beds

HIQA maximum occupancy

Registered until

23 May 2027

Current registration since 24 May 2024

Inspection score

72/ 100

Mostly compliant

Improving

Ranked 16 of 17 scored homes in Co. Kilkenny · 14 of 15 within 25 km

Leadership and management79

Quality and safety of care66

What went into the score

17 May 2024 · counts 63%2 not compliant · 7 of 14 compliant · 75
4 October 2023 · counts 38%1 not compliant · 2 of 13 compliant · 66

Fair Deal price is 77% above the Co. Kilkenny median of €1,277 a week.

How we calculate this score

Every regulation HIQA judged on an inspection earns points: Compliant 100, Substantially compliant 65, Not compliant 25.
Where the compliance plan rates the risk of a failing regulation, orange (moderate risk) takes off 15 more points and red (high risk) takes off 40. Yellow (low risk) takes off nothing.
An inspection's score is the average over the regulations it looked at.
A home's score combines its last 3 inspections: the newest counts for 50%, the one before for 30% and the one before that for 20%. With fewer inspections the weights are scaled up to 100%.
The trend compares the newest inspection's score with the average of the earlier ones: 5 points or more higher is improving, 5 or more lower is declining, anything else is stable.
Homes are ranked by score within their county and among scored homes within 25 km. Homes with the same score share a rank.

Method v1. It uses only HIQA's published judgments, not our opinion, and is recalculated whenever a new report is published.

What the latest inspection found

St Columba's Hospital provides a caring and respectful environment where residents generally feel happy and well cared for. Staff are attentive and promote residents' rights and choices. However, the building's old design and shared bedrooms affect residents' privacy and dignity. Communication support for residents who do not speak English needs improvement, and the dementia unit lacks enough meaningful activities. The centre is working on reducing restrictive practices and improving care plans for residents with responsive behaviours.

Long-term care
Dementia care

What inspectors liked

Staff interactions with residents were warm, kind, dignified and respectful throughout the day.
Residents reported high satisfaction with the care and described staff as friendly and hardworking.
The centre offers a range of activities including music, dancing, bingo, arts and crafts, and outings.
Residents have choice and control over their daily routines and mealtimes are relaxed and unhurried with good food.
There is strong management oversight of restrictive practices and staff have up-to-date training in safeguarding and positive behaviour support.

What needed to improve

The building's layout with multi-occupancy bay bedrooms impacts residents' privacy and dignity.
Communication support for residents who do not speak English is inadequate, with unreliable translation devices and lack of professional translation services.
The dementia-specific unit (St Mary's Gardens) has insufficient meaningful activities, leading to long periods of inactivity for residents.
Some restraint use did not fully document that all alternatives were tried before use, contrary to policy.
Care plans for residents with responsive behaviours need improvement to ensure least restrictive and safe approaches are used.

What residents said

“I love it, you couldn't fault it”
“Staff are friendly, nice and great”
“They're always washing and cleaning”
“If you stood long enough, they'd wash you”

Staffing: The centre has 3.6 whole-time equivalent activity staff and appropriate numbers and skill mix of care staff. Staff are trained in safeguarding, positive behaviour support, and restrictive practice. There are trainers and a dementia champion on staff, with some staff pursuing further dementia education.
Activities: Activities include music, dancing, bingo, arts and crafts, reminiscence life-story exercises, flower arranging, and outings. However, the dementia unit has insufficient meaningful activities and residents there often sit with only the TV on.
Food: Meals are nutritious and appetising with choice of main course and dessert. Mealtimes are relaxed and unhurried, with respectful assistance provided to those who need it. Residents gave positive feedback on the food.
Dementia: Has a dedicated dementia unit. St Mary's Garden is a dementia-specific unit. However, residents there have insufficient meaningful activities and spend long periods with only the television on. Staff have some training and support for dementia care, but activity provision needs improvement.

Summarised by AI from the HIQA report of 14 April 2025. Check the report for the full picture.Source report (PDF)

Inspection history

HIQA judges each regulation as Compliant Substantially compliant Not compliantRisk: Low Moderate High

14 April 2025
Unannounced restrictive practice thematic inspection · published Jul 2025
1 mostly
ShowHide
A focused inspection of restrictive practices, such as bedrails, locked doors and sensor alarms, judged against HIQA's National Standards rather than the regulations. It isn't counted in the score.
Thematic inspection
Restrictive practices (overall judgment against the National Standards)Mostly
Read the full HIQA report (PDF)
29 January 2025
Healthcare inspection · published Aug 2025
We couldn't download this report yet.
Read the full HIQA report (PDF)
17 May 2024
Unannounced inspection · published Sept 2024
7 compliant5 mostly2 not compliant
ShowHide
Leadership and management
Statement of purposeCompliant
Persons in chargeCompliant
Governance and managementLow risk · fix by 1 September 2024Mostly
Contract for the provision of servicesLow risk · fix by 1 July 2024Mostly
Complaints procedureCompliant
Application for registration or renewal of registrationLow risk · fix by 1 August 2025Mostly
Quality and safety of care
Individual assessment and care planCompliant
Health careCompliant
Residents' rightsModerate risk · fix by 1 August 2025Not compliant
Communication difficultiesCompliant
End of lifeCompliant
PremisesModerate risk · fix by 1 August 2025Not compliant
Infection controlLow risk · fix by 1 October 2024Mostly
Fire precautionsLow risk · fix by 1 September 2024Mostly
Read the full HIQA report (PDF)
4 October 2023
Announced inspection · published Feb 2024
2 compliant10 mostly1 not compliant
ShowHide
Leadership and management
StaffingCompliant
Training and staff developmentLow risk · fix by 1 April 2024Mostly
RecordsLow risk · fix by 1 March 2024Mostly
Governance and managementLow risk · fix by 1 April 2024Mostly
Complaints procedureLow risk · fix by 20 November 2023Mostly
Quality and safety of care
Individual assessment and care planLow risk · fix by 1 December 2023Mostly
Health careCompliant
ProtectionLow risk · fix by 1 February 2024Mostly
Residents' rightsLow risk · fix by 1 April 2024Mostly
PremisesModerate risk · fix by 1 April 2025Not compliant
Risk managementLow risk · fix by 1 March 2024Mostly
Infection controlLow risk · fix by 1 March 2024Mostly
Fire precautionsLow risk · fix by 1 March 2024Mostly
Read the full HIQA report (PDF)

Fair Deal price

This is the most the home can charge a week for residents on the Fair Deal scheme. Under Fair Deal you pay up to 80% of your income and 7.5% of the value of your assets a year, and the State pays the rest. Homes may charge extra for things like activities, hairdressing or newspapers, so ask about these when you call.

List	Published	Weekly price
HSE public homes	1 September 2026	€2,264

Registration conditions

Read the conditions HIQA attached to this registration

Condition 1: Subject to any prohibitions or restrictions contained in any other condition(s), the designated centre shall be operated at all times in accordance with the Statement of Purpose within the footprint of the designated centre on the floor plan received on 03/07/2024. The registered provider shall only provide for the specific care and support needs, and services, within the facilities as set out the Statement of Purpose, as agreed with the Chief Inspector at the time of registration. Any changes to the specific care and support needs and services provided must be agreed in advance with the Chief Inspector. Condition 2: Only persons aged 18 years or older shall be accommodated at the designated centre at any time. Condition 3: The maximum number of persons that may be accommodated at the designated centre is: 45.

Other homes nearby

Worth phoning too if this home has no bed available.

Gahan House
Voluntary
Graiguenamanagh, Co. Kilkenny· 12 km away
Fair Deal weekly price
Price not published
Inspection score
88
Beds
12 beds
Phone
059 972 4404
Gowran Abbey Nursing Home
Private
Gowran, Co. Kilkenny· 12 km away
Fair Deal weekly price
€1,277 / week
Inspection score
80
Beds
51 beds
Phone
056 772 6500
The Residence Kilkenny
Private
Kilkenny, Co. Kilkenny· 14 km away
Fair Deal weekly price
€1,275 / week
Inspection score
94
Beds
80 beds
Phone
056 771 9740
Tinnypark Nursing Home
Private
Kilkenny, Co. Kilkenny· 15 km away
Fair Deal weekly price
€1,269 / week
Inspection score
73
Beds
47 beds
Phone
056 777 1550
Archersrath Nursing Home
Private
Kilkenny, Co. Kilkenny· 15 km away
Fair Deal weekly price
€1,280 / week
Inspection score
79
Beds
61 beds
Phone
056 779 0137
St Joseph's Supported Care Home
Voluntary
Kilmaganny, Co. Kilkenny· 16 km away
Fair Deal weekly price
Price not published
Inspection score
93
Beds
19 beds
Phone
051 648 091

Inspection score

72/ 100

Mostly compliant

Improving

Ranked 16 of 17 scored homes in Co. Kilkenny · 14 of 15 within 25 km

Leadership and management79

Quality and safety of care66

What went into the score

17 May 2024 · counts 63%2 not compliant · 7 of 14 compliant · 75
4 October 2023 · counts 38%1 not compliant · 2 of 13 compliant · 66

Fair Deal price is 77% above the Co. Kilkenny median of €1,277 a week.

How we calculate this score

Every regulation HIQA judged on an inspection earns points: Compliant 100, Substantially compliant 65, Not compliant 25.
Where the compliance plan rates the risk of a failing regulation, orange (moderate risk) takes off 15 more points and red (high risk) takes off 40. Yellow (low risk) takes off nothing.
An inspection's score is the average over the regulations it looked at.
A home's score combines its last 3 inspections: the newest counts for 50%, the one before for 30% and the one before that for 20%. With fewer inspections the weights are scaled up to 100%.
The trend compares the newest inspection's score with the average of the earlier ones: 5 points or more higher is improving, 5 or more lower is declining, anything else is stable.
Homes are ranked by score within their county and among scored homes within 25 km. Homes with the same score share a rank.

Method v1. It uses only HIQA's published judgments, not our opinion, and is recalculated whenever a new report is published.

What the latest inspection found

Long-term care
Dementia care

What inspectors liked

Staff interactions with residents were warm, kind, dignified and respectful throughout the day.
Residents reported high satisfaction with the care and described staff as friendly and hardworking.
The centre offers a range of activities including music, dancing, bingo, arts and crafts, and outings.
Residents have choice and control over their daily routines and mealtimes are relaxed and unhurried with good food.
There is strong management oversight of restrictive practices and staff have up-to-date training in safeguarding and positive behaviour support.

What needed to improve

The building's layout with multi-occupancy bay bedrooms impacts residents' privacy and dignity.
Communication support for residents who do not speak English is inadequate, with unreliable translation devices and lack of professional translation services.
The dementia-specific unit (St Mary's Gardens) has insufficient meaningful activities, leading to long periods of inactivity for residents.
Some restraint use did not fully document that all alternatives were tried before use, contrary to policy.
Care plans for residents with responsive behaviours need improvement to ensure least restrictive and safe approaches are used.

What residents said

“I love it, you couldn't fault it”
“Staff are friendly, nice and great”
“They're always washing and cleaning”
“If you stood long enough, they'd wash you”

Staffing: The centre has 3.6 whole-time equivalent activity staff and appropriate numbers and skill mix of care staff. Staff are trained in safeguarding, positive behaviour support, and restrictive practice. There are trainers and a dementia champion on staff, with some staff pursuing further dementia education.
Activities: Activities include music, dancing, bingo, arts and crafts, reminiscence life-story exercises, flower arranging, and outings. However, the dementia unit has insufficient meaningful activities and residents there often sit with only the TV on.
Food: Meals are nutritious and appetising with choice of main course and dessert. Mealtimes are relaxed and unhurried, with respectful assistance provided to those who need it. Residents gave positive feedback on the food.
Dementia: Has a dedicated dementia unit. St Mary's Garden is a dementia-specific unit. However, residents there have insufficient meaningful activities and spend long periods with only the television on. Staff have some training and support for dementia care, but activity provision needs improvement.

Summarised by AI from the HIQA report of 14 April 2025. Check the report for the full picture.Source report (PDF)

Inspection history

HIQA judges each regulation as Compliant Substantially compliant Not compliantRisk: Low Moderate High

14 April 2025
Unannounced restrictive practice thematic inspection · published Jul 2025
1 mostly
ShowHide
A focused inspection of restrictive practices, such as bedrails, locked doors and sensor alarms, judged against HIQA's National Standards rather than the regulations. It isn't counted in the score.
Thematic inspection
Restrictive practices (overall judgment against the National Standards)Mostly
Read the full HIQA report (PDF)
29 January 2025
Healthcare inspection · published Aug 2025
We couldn't download this report yet.
Read the full HIQA report (PDF)
17 May 2024
Unannounced inspection · published Sept 2024
7 compliant5 mostly2 not compliant
ShowHide
Leadership and management
Statement of purposeCompliant
Persons in chargeCompliant
Governance and managementLow risk · fix by 1 September 2024Mostly
Contract for the provision of servicesLow risk · fix by 1 July 2024Mostly
Complaints procedureCompliant
Application for registration or renewal of registrationLow risk · fix by 1 August 2025Mostly
Quality and safety of care
Individual assessment and care planCompliant
Health careCompliant
Residents' rightsModerate risk · fix by 1 August 2025Not compliant
Communication difficultiesCompliant
End of lifeCompliant
PremisesModerate risk · fix by 1 August 2025Not compliant
Infection controlLow risk · fix by 1 October 2024Mostly
Fire precautionsLow risk · fix by 1 September 2024Mostly
Read the full HIQA report (PDF)
4 October 2023
Announced inspection · published Feb 2024
2 compliant10 mostly1 not compliant
ShowHide
Leadership and management
StaffingCompliant
Training and staff developmentLow risk · fix by 1 April 2024Mostly
RecordsLow risk · fix by 1 March 2024Mostly
Governance and managementLow risk · fix by 1 April 2024Mostly
Complaints procedureLow risk · fix by 20 November 2023Mostly
Quality and safety of care
Individual assessment and care planLow risk · fix by 1 December 2023Mostly
Health careCompliant
ProtectionLow risk · fix by 1 February 2024Mostly
Residents' rightsLow risk · fix by 1 April 2024Mostly
PremisesModerate risk · fix by 1 April 2025Not compliant
Risk managementLow risk · fix by 1 March 2024Mostly
Infection controlLow risk · fix by 1 March 2024Mostly
Fire precautionsLow risk · fix by 1 March 2024Mostly
Read the full HIQA report (PDF)

Fair Deal price

List	Published	Weekly price
HSE public homes	1 September 2026	€2,264

Registration conditions

Read the conditions HIQA attached to this registration

Other homes nearby

Worth phoning too if this home has no bed available.

Gahan House

Voluntary

Graiguenamanagh, Co. Kilkenny· 12 km away

Fair Deal weekly price: Price not published
Inspection score: 88
Beds: 12 beds
Phone: 059 972 4404

Gowran Abbey Nursing Home

Private

Gowran, Co. Kilkenny· 12 km away

Fair Deal weekly price: €1,277 / week
Inspection score: 80
Beds: 51 beds
Phone: 056 772 6500

The Residence Kilkenny

Private

Kilkenny, Co. Kilkenny· 14 km away

Fair Deal weekly price: €1,275 / week
Inspection score: 94
Beds: 80 beds
Phone: 056 771 9740

Tinnypark Nursing Home

Private

Kilkenny, Co. Kilkenny· 15 km away

Fair Deal weekly price: €1,269 / week
Inspection score: 73
Beds: 47 beds
Phone: 056 777 1550

Archersrath Nursing Home

Private

Kilkenny, Co. Kilkenny· 15 km away

Fair Deal weekly price: €1,280 / week
Inspection score: 79
Beds: 61 beds
Phone: 056 779 0137

St Joseph's Supported Care Home

Voluntary

Kilmaganny, Co. Kilkenny· 16 km away

Fair Deal weekly price: Price not published
Inspection score: 93
Beds: 19 beds
Phone: 051 648 091

Inspection score

What went into the score

What the latest inspection found

What inspectors liked

What needed to improve

What residents said

Inspection history

Thematic inspection

Leadership and management

Quality and safety of care

Leadership and management

Quality and safety of care

Fair Deal price

Registration conditions

Other homes nearby

Inspection score

What went into the score

What the latest inspection found

What inspectors liked

What needed to improve

What residents said

Inspection history

Thematic inspection

Leadership and management

Quality and safety of care

Leadership and management

Quality and safety of care

Fair Deal price

Registration conditions

Other homes nearby