Frequently Asked Questions

Any family who has to travel a journey of approx. 2 hours or more to Children’s Health Ireland at Crumlin, and whose child is hospitalised or undergoing treatment as an outpatient for 5 days or more.
No, as long as the child is a patient in the Hospital.

As we do not know when families will leave we do not take formal bookings. You need to contact us in advance with your date of admission. Your name will go on the waiting list and we will do our best to accommodate you. If a room becomes available on that date you will be notified. Please get in touch a few days before admission, and we can advise you about availability. Infection free status must be confirmed by the hospital.

A family ensuite room in the Ronald McDonald House is a €10 donation for a family per night. 

Upon arrival, a staff member will show you the House and explain the simple rules and regulations including fire procedures, entry and exit procedures and kitchen rules.

All families have their own bedroom with a private ensuite bathroom, TV and telephone. The remaining communal facilities in the House include:
Car parking
Laundry
Dining area
Lounge/Library
Toddlers’ room
Kitchen
Outdoor Toddlers Play area
Garden

Families should bring food, clothing, toiletries and anything else you would take on a trip away. Linen and towels are provided.
There is no time limit on the length of stay – a family can stay as long as their child is in treatment.
Yes. You can vacate the room for a maximum of four nights, however you will be charged for this period.

As the Ronald McDonald House provides a ‘Home’ for families with children in the hospital, it is vital that everyone staying in the House or visiting is free of any communicable disease. All guests are required to indicate any exposure to chicken pox or any other infectious diseases on the guest registration form. In situations where the child on the ward has an infectious disease, e.g. meningococcal meningitis, then a doctor’s clearance must be obtained to confirm that the family members have been treated and cannot pass the disease on to anyone in the House. If a family member staying in the House becomes ill with a communicable illness such as the ‘flu, they may need to seek alternative accommodation for themselves until such time as they are deemed well enough to return to the House. This policy also applies to staff and volunteers. We do request that families respect the other families staying in the House. All are going through a difficult time and need care and support at all times.

Our Cooking4Families programenables us to provide a meal most days at no cost for our families. Companies volunteer their staff to provide food and cook while others provide product that families can cook themselves. The House has a large communal kitchen where your family can cook meals and eat together. Each family is allocated their own private cupboard and fridge/freezer units. We believe a good night’s sleep and a home cooked meal once a day is essential for our families as they face a long and difficult day in the hospital.
Volunteers are always welcome. Please see our volunteer page for more details.

RMHC have worked closely with the Development Board for the New National Children’s Hospital with a view to providing a new 52 Bedroom Ronald McDonald House alongside the Hospital when it opens. Construction on the new house will begin in 2024. 

The Ronald McDonald House is owned and managed by RMHC Ireland (Ronald McDonald House Charities Ireland), an independent registered charity – CHY12553. The charity receives no financial support from the hospital or the state.

McDonald’s have been the mission partner for the charity since 1974 on a global basis. All McDonald’s restaurants in Ireland make an annual contribution to the administrative costs of RMHC Ireland. This contribution allows the charity to use much of the money raised to help children and their families around the country. McDonald’s customers and suppliers are very generous supporters of RMHC. Families who have stayed in the House are also long-term and generous supporters.

It costs €700,000 to run and operate The Ronald McDonald House. The funds required are raised by our fundraising events . Our fundraising efforts are supported by our charity partner, McDonald’s and their Suppliers and Customers. GSLS kindly manage the collection and counting of the coins collected from the Spinners and Collection Boxes in the Restaurants on a Pro Bono basis. Our families are amazing supporters and fundraisers for The House. We receive no financial assistance from Crumlin Hospital.
There are two Houses, the larger House (16 bedrooms) is on the grounds of Children’s Health Ireland at Crumlin and the other one is across the road at 45 St. Mary’s Drive (4 bedrooms) – read more information the houses.

The Ronald McDonald House is owned and managed by RMHC Ireland, an independent registered charity (CHY12553) which was set up in 1997. RMHC Ireland is the Irish chapter of the global Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) based in Chicago.

The Charity here in Ireland is run by a Board of Trustees. All trustees and our CEO give their services and time on a Pro Bono Basis.

For House related questions please contact Sharon Keogh (House Operations Manager). For Charity related questions please contact Joe Kenny, CEO, RMHC Ireland.

Donate with cash or card on the day

Fundraise between the day you book and the day you cook

Employer matching programs