It is the second alleged assault to have taken place in the hospital’s A&E department in recent weeks
Gardai are investigating an attack on a staff member at the Accident and Emergency Department of Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda. The incident occurred in the early hours of Monday, February 9th, 2026, while the A&E department was experiencing a high volume of patients.
While the victim’s injuries were not severe, medical staff expressed anger and shock following the attack. This represents the second reported assault on hospital staff at Our Lady of Lourdes in recent weeks.
In a previous incident, a nurse and a member of the cleaning staff were reportedly assaulted by a patient with psychiatric issues.
A hospital staff member stated, “Our 24 hour security has been restored to A&E but we are constantly worried about our safety. It is hard enough to do this job without patients getting angry and then turning on us.”
The Lourdes Hospital A&E department has been particularly busy recently due to the ongoing winter flu epidemic. The HSE has issued a public statement requesting that individuals avoid visiting the hospital unless their medical condition is life-threatening.
In a statement, Gardai confirmed they received a report of an assault at a premises in Moneymore, Drogheda, Co Louth, at 1:25am on February 9th, 2026. The investigation is ongoing, and no arrests have been made at this time.
Twenty-four hour security at the Lourdes Hospital’s accident and emergency department had been reduced to 12 daytime hours last Autumn due to financial cutbacks. However, security was restored to 24 hours following the previous violent incident.
The HSE stated that the safety of their staff is a top priority and that abusive and violent behaviour will not be tolerated.
