Paediatrics and Child Health

Led by Professor Jonathan Hourihane, the Department supports undergraduate learning across five of the major teaching sites in Dublin, Children’s Hospital Ireland (CHI) at Temple Street, CHI at Crumlin and CHI at Connolly, as well as in the Rotunda and Coombe tertiary maternity hospitals.

Student clinical exposure is further augmented by the rich educational experiences encountered in our allied regional hospital centres in Cavan, Drogheda, Kilkenny, Mullingar, Waterford and Wexford.

We also have paediatric site in Bahrain, which follow the same curriculum as the Ireland-based paediatric sites.

This involves a six-week rotation in SC1 Year/Year 4 formative and summative assessment include in module portfolio assessments, in module clinical assessments, end of rotation OSCE and an end of year MCQ.

Students spend two weeks in the tertiary centres, CHI at Temple Street and CHI at Crumlin and two weeks in regional units. In addition, they spend one week in either of the two neonatal sites.

For students interested in pursuing a career in paediatrics or neonates, we provide both clinical team attachments and research opportunities during the summer months. We host national and international medical student elective placements

RCSI's Department of Paediatrics and Child Health has also been extremely in placing students in first choice residency programmes in US and Canada.

The Department of Paediatrics and Child Health is committed to pursuing excellence in teaching and research with many members of the academic staff conducting research in a wide range of areas.

The number of grants secured and publications from within the department continue to increase each year.

Recent research initiatives

Professor Jonathan Hourihane
Professor Jonathan Hourihane is the Head and Professor of Paediatrics and Child Health in RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences and consultant paediatrician in CHI at Temple Street.

While COVID pandemic lockdowns were very effective in protecting very vulnerable groups, such as the elderly and new born babies, research in our previous CORAL study found that isolation affected the make-up of children's gut bacteria in unexpected ways, and that some children born in lockdown had deficits in social skill and language development.

Read an RCSI Impact article here.

Professor Paul McNally
Professor Paul McNally is an associate Professor of Paediatrics and Child Health at RCSI and Director of Research and Innovation for Children’s Health Ireland.

Professor McNally led the development of the model of care for cystic fibrosis in Ireland, and the model of care for respiratory medicine for children. His main areas of research interest are in clinical trials, early cystic fibrosis (CF) lung disease and the real-world effects of the new generation of CF treatments (CFTR modulators).

Professor McNally has published more than 70 peer-reviewed publications and has been awarded more than €15 million in research grants.

Learn more about the ENHANCE study, which supports paediatric academic healthcare with an integrated approach to research, education and services to drive better clinical outcomes for children and young people.

Professor/Head of Department

• Jonathan Hourihane

Associate Professors

• Paul McNally (Paediatrics)
• Naomi McCallion (Neonatology, Rotunda Hospital)
• Martin White (Neonatology, Coombe Hospital)

Honorary Clinical Professors

• Afif El-Khuffash (Neonatology, Rotunda Hospital)

Senior Lecturers

• Miranda Crealey (Paediatrics)

• Michael Riordan (Paediatrics)
• Susan Byrne

Honorary Clinical Associate Professors

• Séamus Hussey (CHI at Crumlin)
• Louise Kyne (CHI at Temple Street)

• Breda Hayes (Neonatology, Rotunda Hospital)

• John Fitzsimons (Paediatrics, CHI at Temple Street) 

Regional sites

St Luke's General Hospital, Carlow/Kilkenny

• Dr David Waldron, Honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer, Paediatrics

Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda 

• Dr Emma Gordon, Honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer, Paediatrics
• Professor Ireti Farombi, Honorary Clinical Professor, Neonatology

Wexford General Hospital

• Professor Muhammed Azam, Honorary Clinical Professor, Paediatrics

Cavan General Hospital

• Dr Alan Finan, Honorary, Paediatrics

Regional Hospital Mullingar

• Professor Farhana Sharif, Honorary Clinical Professor, Paediatrics

University Hospital Waterford

• Dr Dean Huggard, Honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer
• Dr Norma Goggin, Honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer, Paediatrics