The following information was provided by Mr Steve Dolan, Manager of The Irish Workhouse Centre, Portumna, Co. Galway
The Killala Poor Law Union was officially declared in 1849. The Workhouse was opened in 1852 at a cost of £5,400. It was built to house a maximum capacity of 500 inmates, but it never reached far above 50% capacity with the highest recorded population of inmates being 276 in 1853. This is not an indication of affluence in the area, but instead a result of the Workhouse not being opened until after the worst years of the famine had passed. The Killala Workhouse was built to accomodate people from the areas of Ballycastle, Beldergmore, East Kilfian, South Kilfian, West Kilfian, Killala, North Lachan, and South Lachan.
In 1949 the Claremorris Workhouse was demolished by Mayo County Council and the site is now occupied by a housing development.
References
|
For more information see here | Ireland | VIEW SOURCE |
