The Hazel Room
Coll
Ground floor, with an en-suite toilet, wash hand basin and shower.
Respite breaks · Corca Dhuibhne, West Kerry
A week by the sea. A real break for the family.
Montbretia House is a six-bedroom respite house in Ballywiheen, near Ballyferriter. Adults aged 18 to 64 come for a week at a time — with support day and night, and never more than six guests in the house.
- Funded in full by the HSE
- Two staff on every night
- You lead the week
Fáilte.Six en-suite rooms, each named after a West Kerry tree. You choose yours.
Where would you like to start?
I’d like a break for myself
What a week here is like, the support on offer, and how to come and see the house.
Your stayI care for someone
Planned time to rest, sleep through the night or catch up — knowing they are well looked after.
How a stay worksI’m making a referral
For HSE disability services and health and social care teams. Talk to our Person in Charge.
Referral enquiryI’d like to work here
Social care workers and care assistants in a small team, in a house — not an institution.
Work with us6
en-suite bedrooms — never more than six guests in the house
18–64
adults with a disability, women and men
24/7
staffed, with two on duty every night and one awake all night
HSE
funds the full cost of your stay — you pay only for extras you choose
What respite means here
A proper break — for both of you
Short breaks are built around the person staying, not around our timetable. You decide how the week goes, and we support you to live it.
For the person staying
- A safe, comfortable and stimulating place to be.
- Care shaped around you, at the level you want it.
- A home from home, where your own routine carries on.
- Support to stay independent, with dignity.
For the family carer
- Time to rest, and to sleep through the night.
- Freedom to work or deal with other commitments.
- Reassurance that your person is in capable hands.
- A break that strengthens the caring relationship.
The house
Six rooms, named for the trees of West Kerry
Every bedroom is en-suite. You choose your room — and you can ask for the same one each time you come back.
There is also a lounge with a smart TV, a dining room for family visits or quiet time, a pantry and kitchen, a laundry, and a wheelchair-accessible sensory garden with a pond of goldfish and golden orfe.
Take a look around the houseThe Elm Room
Leamhán
Ground floor, with an en-suite toilet, wash hand basin and shower.
The Ash Room
Fuinseog
Ground floor, with an en-suite toilet, wash hand basin and shower.
The Beech Room
Feá
First floor, en-suite. Reached by stairs only, so offered to guests assessed as able to use the stairs safely, including in an evacuation.
The Oak Room
Dair
First floor, en-suite. Reached by stairs only, so offered to guests assessed as able to use the stairs safely, including in an evacuation.
The Willow Room
Saileach
A self-contained apartment in a separate building at the rear, with its own en-suite, kitchen and private living room.
A week at Montbretia House
Monday to Sunday, at your own pace
Most guests arrive on a Monday and head home the following Sunday morning. Here is how a week tends to run. Nothing is decided for you.
MMonday
Arrive and settle in
Pick your room and unpack. With a member of staff, go through your person-centred plan: when you like to get up, what you eat, how much help you want.
DDay and night
Support when you want it
A social care worker or care assistant is there throughout your stay, with two staff on every night. You decide how much help you want.
TThrough the week
Your days, your way
- Meals made in the house, with help to cook if you like
- Family and friends are welcome to visit
- The sensory garden and the lounge
- Or simply a quiet day in
SSunday morning
Home, rested
Head home on Sunday morning. Your plan is reviewed with you at every visit, so the next stay starts where this one left off.
The Ballywiheen experience
A beautiful corner of West Kerry
Ballywiheen sits in the heart of Corca Dhuibhne, the Dingle Gaeltacht, with the sea and the hills on the doorstep. For your information, here are some of the places nearby.
Dingle harbour
Wheelchair-accessible boat trips run around the harbour and bay.
Hydrotherapy pool
At MTU in Tralee, heated to 32–33.5°C, with pool and ceiling hoists.
The Blasket Islands
Eco tours of about three hours, with wildlife and island history.
Dingle aquarium
Sea life up close at the aquarium in Dingle town.
Straight answers
We would rather be plain with you now than surprise you mid-stay
Choosing respite is a big decision. So here is what we do, what we don’t, and where things stand.
HIQA registration
Application in progressHIQA registers and inspects designated centres for adults with disabilities. Our application is in progress (last checked 13 October 2026). Ring us and ask where it stands — we will tell you plainly.
Clinical care, and its limits
Our staff nurse leads risk assessment and your plan. We do not employ a resident doctor and are not staffed for nurse-led clinical procedures. If you become unwell, we contact your GP with your consent.
If we’re not the right fit
If the assessment shows we cannot meet your needs safely, we will say so — and help you look elsewhere.
How a stay comes together
From first phone call to your first week
Every stay is funded by the HSE, and we do not take private clients. Referrals come through your HSE disability service or health and social care team — and if you’re not sure where to start, ring us and we’ll point you in the right direction.
Step 1: Get in touch
Your HSE disability service or care team refers you. Funding is confirmed by HSE Disability Services or the HSE Respite Support Forum.
Step 2: Come and visit
The Person in Charge meets you at the house — a conversation, not an examination — and shows you around.
Step 3: Choose your dates
Once any reports are back, we offer you several weeks and you pick what suits. Your pack arrives by post or email.
Step 4: Arrive and settle in
Pick your room, unpack, and go through your plan with the team. You set the timetable.
Is respite here right for you?
Check in under a minute
Montbretia House is for adults aged 18 to 64, women and men, living in the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland. Families who need a planned break from caring — or cover when the main carer is unavailable — are exactly who we are here for.
Four quick questions
Answer for yourself or for the person you care for. Nothing is sent anywhere — this just helps you see whether we could be the right fit.
At Montbretia House, we believe that your abilities are what truly matter. Your disability will never be a barrier to your enjoyment or participation.
David PigottDirector and Person in Charge
The people
A small team, a team lead on every shift
Social care workers and care assistants are on duty through the day. At night there are always two staff — one awake for the full twelve hours.
- David Pigott (BA Social Care), Person in Charge, runs the house day to day.
- Sinéad O’Connell, Staff Nurse and Clinical & Compliance Manager, leads assessment and your plan.
- Backed by ten years of experience at our sister company, Local Homecare Services.
From the blog
Practical reading for a first stay
What to Bring for a Week of Respite
Medication, medical card, laundry, spending money and the comforts that make a room feel like yours — a practical packing guide for your stay.
How to Arrange a Respite Stay: From First Call to Arrival
Referral, assessment, dates and your pack — the whole process for arranging a respite stay at Montbretia House, explained step by step.
What Happens on Your First Visit to Montbretia House
Nobody stays overnight without seeing the place first. Here is what happens on your introductory visit, from the tour to choosing your room.
Come and see it
The best way to judge a respite house is to walk around it.
Come and see the rooms and the garden, meet the team and ask whatever you want to ask. We usually arrange visits when other guests are out, so the house is yours to look around.