The following information was provided by Mr Steve Dolan, Manager of The Irish Workhouse Centre, Portumna, Co. Galway
The Oughterard Poor Law Union was officially declared in 1849. The Workhouse was opened in 1852 at a cost of £7,000. It was built to house a maximum capacity of 600 inmates, but census records show that the Workhouse was never even half full as the highest population recorded was 286 inmates in 1853. The Oughterard Workhouse was built to accomodate people from the areas of Camus, Clonbur, Cong, Crumpaun, Cur, Gorumna, Kilcummin, Letterrickaun, Lettermore, Oughterard, Ross, Turlough, and Wormhole.
The Workhouse was burned in 1922 by anti-treaty forces. The site is now occupied by a housing estate.
References
For more information see here | Ireland | VIEW SOURCE |
Type of Building:
Workhouse