Arbour House is the HSE’s addiction treatment and community counselling service for Cork city, based at St Finbarr’s Hospital on the Douglas Road. It is an outpatient day service — people attend appointments and return home afterwards — supporting adults and young people affected by drug or alcohol use.
Arbour House at a glance
The details below are drawn from published Irish health service directory records and are consistent across the sources we checked. The HSE has restructured its website and no longer publishes a dedicated page for this service, so we recommend phoning to confirm before you travel.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Service type | Outpatient / day service — not residential, no overnight beds |
| Run by | Health Service Executive (HSE), Cork Kerry Community Healthcare |
| Address | Arbour House, St Finbarr’s Hospital, Douglas Road, Cork |
| Phone | (021) 496 8933 |
| AddictionTreatment@hse.ie | |
| Who it serves | Adults and young people affected by drug or alcohol use |
| Cost | HSE public service — see “What it costs” below |
What Arbour House provides
The service combines assessment, talking therapies and medical treatment for opioid dependence under one roof.
- Consultation and assessment — an initial appointment to work out what support fits your situation.
- Counselling for substance misuse, including relapse prevention.
- Family programmes and family counselling — support for relatives affected by someone else’s use.
- Psychotherapy.
- Methadone treatment — induction, stabilisation, maintenance and detox.
- Outpatient treatment for both adults and young people.
Is an outpatient service right for you?
Outpatient care suits many people, but it is not the right starting point for everyone. If you are physically dependent on alcohol or benzodiazepines, stopping suddenly without medical supervision can be dangerous, and a residential or medically supervised setting may be safer.
| Factor | Outpatient (e.g. Arbour House) | Residential |
|---|---|---|
| Where you sleep | At home | At the centre |
| Daily routine | Attend appointments, keep work or study going | Full-time structured programme away from home |
| Best suited to | Stable housing and a supportive home environment | Severe dependence, or a home setting that makes recovery hard |
| Medical supervision | Scheduled, during appointments | On site |
Our guide to inpatient rehab treatment and who it helps explains the trade-offs in more detail, and our plain-language drinking self-check can help you gauge where you stand before making the call.
What it costs
Arbour House is a HSE-run public service. Publicly funded addiction services in Ireland are generally provided free of charge to people who need them, though exact arrangements can vary by service and circumstance. Ask about any costs when you make first contact rather than assuming.
How to get in touch
- Phone (021) 496 8933 or email AddictionTreatment@hse.ie to ask about access and current referral arrangements.
- Ask whether you can refer yourself or need a referral from your GP.
- Confirm opening hours and the appointment process before travelling to St Finbarr’s Hospital.
Other addiction services in Cork
Arbour House is an outpatient service in Cork city. If you are looking for residential treatment in the county, Cuan Mhuire in Farnanes runs a residential programme for women. You can browse every listing we hold for the county on our Cork rehab centres page, or see all rehab centres in Ireland.
Frequently asked questions
Is Arbour House residential?
No. Arbour House is an outpatient and day service. It provides assessment, counselling and methadone treatment on an appointment basis, and does not offer overnight beds.
Does Arbour House treat young people?
Yes. The HSE lists outpatient treatment for drug and alcohol use for both adults and young people. Contact the service directly to ask about arrangements for a specific age.
Do I need a GP referral?
Referral routes vary between HSE addiction services and can change. Phone (021) 496 8933 or email AddictionTreatment@hse.ie to ask whether you can refer yourself.
Where is Arbour House?
Arbour House, St Finbarr’s Hospital,
Douglas Road, Cork.
Phone: (021) 496 8933
Sources and last checked: Listing details cross-checked in July 2026 against published Irish health service directory records. Helpline information from the HSE Drugs and Alcohol Helpline, and general guidance on treatment options from the HRB National Drugs Library. The HSE has retired its previous per-service web pages, so no official page for Arbour House is currently available to link; please phone to confirm details.
