The Irish Cancer Society celebrates almost 200,000 Nights of Nursing provided to cancer patients in Ireland over the past 40 Years

• Service records show that close to 200,000 nights of nursing were provided to people at end of life, in their own homes, since the Irish Cancer Society’s Night Nursing service was established in 1986 
• €3 million funding supported 5,965 nights of cancer nursing in 2025
• Irish Cancer Society calls on public to go all in this Daffodil Day, March 20th to allow for continued funding of the Night Nursing service

Wednesday, 4th March, 2026: The Irish Cancer Society today celebrates 40 years of the Night Nursing service and the provision of almost 200,000 nights of nursing to people across Ireland, allowing cancer patients to spend their last days surrounded by their families at home.

Since its establishment in 1986, the Night Nursing service has provided free, expert overnight nursing care to people at end of life, allowing them to die in the comfort of their own home, surrounded by the people they love. 

In 2025, the cost of providing one night of nursing was €525 and there were 5,965 nights of nursing provided to cancer patients across the country, amounting to more than €3 million in funding. The service relies heavily on the generous donations from the public through campaigns such as Daffodil Day. 

Nationwide, there are 170 Night Nurses who are available to deliver this unique, vital service. Every night during 2025, an average of 17 patients with cancer received Night Nursing services throughout the country. 

Nikki Gallagher, CEO, Irish Cancer Society said, “Having delivered 200,000 nights of nursing over the past 40 years is a huge achievement and far more powerful than just a statistic. It represents 200,000 nights of comfort, relief, compassion, and human connection that our Night Nurses have offered at a most vulnerable time. 

“Behind every night is a patient who was able to sleep in their own bed and a family who could rest knowing their loved one was being cared for. It’s a child who could sit beside a parent, partners who could hold hands and family who could gather at a familiar bedside.

“Being a Night Nurse is an incredibly fulfilling role, and we would encourage nurses to consider joining our team. Funding from the public, that is raised through campaigns like Daffodil Day, is vital to ensure that Night Nursing can continue to provide this incredibly important service.”

Hayley Forde, from Westmeath, availed of the service for her father, Jimmy, who died from lung cancer. She said, “We’re really blessed that we got the Night Nurse because all my dad wanted was to be at home, so thankfully, we got to keep him home.

“Our family was sleep deprived since Dad was diagnosed with lung cancer. But with the support of our Night Nurse, Anne, we all could sleep; we were at ease knowing that he was in really good hands. We didn’t realise how much guidance and care he needed and we needed.

“It’s a lot of work, especially towards the end, you need hospice care because of medication and everything. I’d say to families: if you’re being advised to link in with palliative care services, take it with both hands.”

Anne Freeman-Rahill, from Cavan, is a Night Nurse who cared for Jimmy, Hayley Forde’s dad every night for a week. “If you want something that’s really rewarding, Night Nursing gives you that sense of achievement that you’ve done something good or helped somebody in some way. You can see the relief in a person’s face when they open the door to you. It’s a privilege to be able to provide care to people at end of life.”

Night Nursing is delivered by highly trained, registered nurses who provide care and support between the hours of 11pm and 7am. This vital, free-of-charge service provides free end-of-life care in order to support cancer patients to spend their final days at home, surrounded by family and loved ones. 

Anyone with a concern or query about cancer can contact the Irish Cancer Society’s Freephone Support Line at 1800 200 700 or email supportline@irishcancer.ie. 

ENDS