Newport Workhouse

Image
Map

The following information was provided by Mr Steve Dolan, Manager of The Irish Workhouse Centre, Portumna, Co. Galway

The Newport Poor Law Union was officially declared in 1849. The Workhouse was opened in 1852 at a cost of £6,000. It was built to house a maximum capacity of 500 inmates, but it never came close to even 50% capactiy, with the highest population of inmates being recorded as 196 in 1853. This is not an indication of affluence in the area and is instead a result of the Newport Workhouse not being opened until after the worst years of the famine had already passed. The Newport Workhouse was built to accomodate people from the areas of Achill, Ballycroy, Carraun, Derrylohan, Dooega, Newport, Shramore, And Slievemore.

Though some of the Newport Workhouse buildings are now derelict, there are also some that are in use as residential properties.

References

For more information see here

Ireland

VIEW SOURCE

Type of Building:

Workhouse

Post Comment

Comments

Henry Mahony was the Master of Newport Workhouse in 1881. More details of the family are at http://townlandhistory.netfirms.com/histsoc/fbook/apr4.html

PeterMullowney

Monday 17th August 2020 10:11PM

Hello

Have you created a Chronicle for Henry Mahony? We can link him directly to the Workhouse. Here is a link to a YouTube video which explains the process

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DVvchOFUn0&t=28s