The Kanturk Poor Law Union was officially declared in 1839. The Workhouse was opened in 1844 at a cost of £8,200. It was built to house a maximum capacity of 800 inmates. The Kanturk Workhouse was built to accomodate people from the areas of Castlemagner, Clonmeen, Cullen, Drouentariff, Kanturk, Kilbolane, Kilbrin, Knocktemple, Newmarket, Shandrum, and Tulilease in Co. Cork, and Drishane, Kilmeen, and Nohaval Daly in Co. Kerry.
In 1850 an accidental fire broke out at the Kanturk Workhouse. Many of the buildings were completely destroyed but thankfully no lives were lost. The rest of the building were deliberately burned down during the 1920's.
The Kanturk Workhouse site is now occupied by a community hospital with no original buildings surviving.
My Great grand father Tom Guiney of Kanturk was the Clerk in charge of Kanturk Workhouse. His son Patrick ick Guiney was an M.P. And after he died in 1913, his brother John, a solicitor was voted in as M.P. John was also deputy registrar of the Workhouse.
Catherina Burke (nee Burton)