In 1825, two women and a newborn baby died in an alleyway off Thomas Street while trying to get to the Rotunda Maternity Hospital in a snowstorm. The following year, as a result, it was decided that a new maternity hospital would be established on the southside in the Coombe area.
A committee, led by Margaret Boyle and with support from the Guinness family, took over a building vacated by the Meath Hospital and established the Coombe Lying-In Hospital. The hospital received a royal charter from Queen Victoria in 1867, which allowed it to receive public as well as private funds. In 1967 the hospital moved to its new premises on Cork Street, and was renamed the Coombe Women's Hospital in 1993.
The old building in the Coombe was demolished in order to make way for Dublin Corporation housing, but the entrance portal was saved and stands as a poignant reminder of the history of the hospital.
Interestingly, the steps at the back of the monument are engraved with the names and nicknames of many famous Dublin and Liberties characters, such as Bang Bang and Johnny Forty Coats.
To find the cache, visit the site and read the inscriptions on both the front and back.
- How many words in Joe's full name? This is A
- What is the second digit of the final year on the front plaque? This is B
- How many letters are in the first name on the bottom step? This is C
- How many Johnnys are on the steps? This is D
The cache is hidden at:
N 53° 20.(A)(B)(C)' W 6° 16.(AxD)(Dx4)(C+D)'