Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science James Lawless TD today officially opened 118 St Stephen’s Green, a major new education, research and public engagement facility developed by RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences.

The €95 million development marks an important new chapter in the University’s more than two‑century presence on St Stephen’s Green.

Providing a new front door to the RCSI campus, the new building is physically connected to RCSI’s award‑winning academic facility at 26 York Street by an interlinking bridge, creating additional, flexible space for the approximately 3,000 students and staff who use the campus each day for study, work and extracurricular activity. It also includes a new first-of-its-kind free exhibition space dedicated to health and well-being.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin said: “RCSI’s contribution to Ireland is visible in every hospital, clinic and community across the country. For generations, its graduates and researchers have strengthened our health system and improved patient care and outcomes. This new building at 118 St Stephen’s Green strengthens the University’s capacity to educate future clinicians, advance high‑impact research and engage directly with the public on matters of health and well-being.”

Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless TD said: “This landmark development represents a significant investment from RCSI in health sciences education and in the collaborative environment needed to deliver new insights and innovations. This new facility will help ensure that Ireland remains a leader in health sciences education and discovery.”

The development strengthens RCSI’s capacity to support the expansion of the health workforce by educating future clinicians and health scientists. It provides modern, flexible small‑group learning spaces and collaborative teaching environments designed to shape career‑ready graduates, along with a technology‑enabled learning infrastructure that supports the delivery of postgraduate healthcare education to professionals around the world.

Professor Cathal Kelly, Vice Chancellor of RCSI, said: “The opening of 118 St Stephen’s Green represents a significant step forward in RCSI’s mission to educate, nurture and discover for the benefit of human health. Since 1784, RCSI has adapted, evolved and led in response to national and international health needs. 118 St Stephen’s Green continues that tradition of purposeful evolution, enabling our community to educate more effectively, discover more impactfully, and to continue to contribute meaningfully to Ireland’s health system.”

It also features advanced research laboratories and write‑up areas designed to expand interdisciplinary and translational research in neurology and tissue engineering. These world-class facilities will accelerate discoveries that improve patient outcomes.

A defining feature of the building is Humanarium, Ireland’s first free exhibition space dedicated exclusively to health and well-being. Located at street level, Humanarium hosts free exhibitions and events designed to enhance public health literacy and empower people to protect their own health.

Professor Kelly highlighted that: “Our researchers and clinician scientists are addressing real-world health challenges. What happens in these laboratories will shape clinical practice, drive innovation, and inform policy, and, at Humanarium, we will leverage this scientific knowledge to empower people to take informed, positive steps toward improving their own health.”

Speaking at the official opening, Professor Deborah McNamara, President of RCSI, reflected on the significance of opening a new RCSI front door on St Stephen’s Green for the first time since 1810: “Over more than 200 years, our buildings here have not simply observed history, they have lived through it, and the health professionals who have studied and worked here have made a remarkable difference to patient care and to the development of health systems. Today, as we open 118 St Stephen’s Green, we honour that legacy and look ahead to the next chapter of our contribution to a healthier future. Crucially, this building strengthens our capacity to deliver education, research and public engagement that addresses the real health needs of people across Ireland and around the world.”

118 St Stephen’s Green was supported by funding from the European Investment Bank and AIB. The project construction and design team included Henry J Lyons Architects, Linesight Quantity Surveyors, OCSC Structural Engineers, Axis Mechanical & Electrical Consultants and Bennett Construction Ltd.

Learn more about 118 St Stephen's Green by watching this video