Victoria McCann BA, MSc

Communications Director & Editorial Lead

Victoria McCann, BA, MSc, is Communications Director & Editorial Lead at Castle Craig and a member of the clinic’s founding family. With over a decade of experience in addiction treatment communications, she leads the creation of clear, compassionate content that supports patients, families, and healthcare professionals. Victoria is committed to reducing stigma around addiction and mental health, and brings strategic insight and lived sector knowledge to her work. She regularly attends and organises addiction treatment conferences across the UK and Europe, promoting high standards of care and best practice in the field. Victoria also works with the media to raise awareness and share informed perspectives on addiction and recovery. The Herald, The Times, BBC, STV, The Times, New York Post, The Guardian.

Feedback and Complaints

Smarmore Castle Private Clinic strives to continually improve its quality of care. Complaints are taken seriously and are viewed, and where lessons can be drawn are used to apply improvements to the service. A complaint is an “expression of dissatisfaction requiring a response”. As part of our Quality Assurance Framework, we have a Complaints Procedure. […]

Prescription Drug Addiction and Abuse

Prescription drug addiction is a global public health concern due to its medical and social consequences. Prescription drug misuse is a complex issue as habit-forming prescription drugs are legal, and less stigmatised than party drugs, and those who have become addicted to prescription drugs have often been prescribed medications to treat recognised health conditions. What […]

Videos on Addiction Treatment

A short introduction video to Smarmore Castle, a private rehab clinic in Ireland. At Smarmore Castle we treat addiction to alcohol and drugs. Based in a beautiful 14th-century castle in County Louth, Ireland, our expert team is dedicated to helping people get into recovery from their addictions. Audrey Grant, a former therapist at Castle Craig […]

History

History of Smarmore Castle Located in Ardee, County Louth, 20km north-west of Drogheda, Smarmore Castle has its own place in Irish history, it also has a distinction of being continuously inhabited for eight centuries. According to official Irish records, in 1320, William Taaffe had his seat at Smarmore Castle. Smarmore Castle is a classical piece of […]

Patient Reviews

At Smarmore Castle we welcome our patients’ feedback about our services, the treatment they received, and the attitude of our staff, as we aim to constantly improve the care we give to each patient to excellent standards. We keep in touch with our former patients and are glad to receive notes and letters from the […]

Getting to Smarmore Castle

Our Location The admissions department is happy to provide useful information regarding travel; however, you must arrange your own travel tickets. By Train The nearest train station is Drogheda, located just 22km/13miles from Smarmore Castle. Trains from Dublin to Drogheda run every 30 minutes and take around 45 minutes. Depending on the time of day, taxi fares […]

Mindfulness Meditation

Helping Beat Stress, Anxiety & Depression Mindfulness aims to treat the following conditions:Mindfulness Meditation helps to treat stress, anxiety, depression and compulsive behaviours. Hyperarousal and flashbacks can be alleviated with mindfulness techniques and reduce symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and also reduce physical pain. Mindfulness in Relapse Prevention Patients are given the opportunity to learn how to […]

Equine Assisted Psychotherapy

What is Equine Therapy? Equine assisted therapy is an active psychotherapeutic intervention involving horses and guided by a trained equine therapist. Therapy can be conducted on an individual or group basis depending on the addiction treatment needs. People suffering from alcohol and drug addiction, emotional trauma (including PTSD and dissociative process), low-self esteem, eating disorders, learning difficulties, anxiety […]

Drumming Therapy

Drumming and Communication We are introducing drumming therapy to the complementary therapy programme at Smarmore Castle as soon as possible. Drumming groups have been used at other addiction treatmetnt centres for many years and are a popular part of any complementary therapy and activity programme. Communication Aids Recovery – Drumming Aids Communication Drumming helps the mind […]

Aquatherapy

Aquatherapy is a form of exercise that uses water to relax the body and enhance recovery. People battling addiction to drugs and alcohol may lack the endurance and energy to work out. However, aquatherapy can be an answer to this problem. The buoyancy of the water eases the force of gravity, making the patient feel […]

Teletherapy Sessions in Recovery

Therapy via Webcam On leaving Smarmore Castle, patients are most vulnerable to relapse in the first few months following treatment. Re-entering everyday life can be very challenging because they will encounter a great deal of temptation, as well as old triggers to addictive behaviour.We provide patients with a teletherapy programme to consolidate their recovery after […]

Avoiding Relapse

Treatment includes a three-pronged approach to avoid relapse.We target any underlying factors that have contributed to a patient’s addiction. Individual therapy – we target any underlying factors that have contributed to a patient’s addiction, making sure that relevant issues from their past and present are addressed in therapy. Group therapy – specific relapse prevention groups maximise insight into addiction […]