The following information was provided by Mr Steve Dolan, Manager of The Irish Workhouse Centre, Portumna, Co. Galway
The Borrisokane Poor Law Union was officially declared in 1850. The Workhouse was opened in 1853 at a cost of £7,880. It was built to house a maximum capacity of 600 inmates, but census records show that the true population of Borrisokane Workhouse was a total of 839 inmates in its first year of operation. This is unusual, as the vast majority of post-famine workhouses did not reach max capacity as they did not open until after the worst years of the famine had passed. The Borrisokane Workhouse was built to accomodate people from the areas of Aglisjcloghane, Ballingarry, Ballylusky, Borrisokane, Cloghjordan, Cloghprior, Finnoe, Kilnarron, Lorrha, Mertonhall, Terryglass and Uskane.
The Borrisokane Workhouse site is now occupied by the local community college.
References
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