My Nan and all her siblings where born in Oldcastle workhouse. My Nan was Catherine Armstrong b1886 Oldcastle workhouse. But it does say on her birth records her father William Armstrong was a inmate of the Oldcastle workhouse. But then this is on every one of his children's the births. So I don't no if he was an inmate or was it just registered down as workhouse because the births happened there. Catherine Armstrong then went on to marry my grandad Peter Geraghty who worked as a porter in the workhouse. Witch then was turned into a fever clinic. And then went on to hold suspected prisoners of war camp in ww1.
The Oldcastle Poor Law Union was officially declared in 1840. The Workhouse was opened in 1842 at a cost of £7,094. It was built to house a maximum capacity of 600 inmates. The Oldcastle Workhouse was built to accomodate people from the areas of Crossakeel, Killallon, Loughcrew, Killeagh, Moylagh, and Oldcastle in Co. Meath, Castle Pollard and Fore in Co. Westmeath, and Ballyjamesduff, Castlerahan, Kilbride, Munterconnaught, and Virginia in Co. Cavan.
In 1914, the Oldcastle Workhouse was used to hold German and Austrian men to prevent them from returning to their home countries and fighting in the War. The Oldcastle Workhouse was burned by Republican forces in 1920.
The last remaining buildings of the Oldcastle Workhouse were demolished in the 1950's and the site is now occupied by housing developments.
References
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For more information see here | Ireland | VIEW SOURCE |
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County Meath Local History Resources | Ireland | VIEW SOURCE |
Type of Building:
Workhouse
Comments
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Mary Geraghty
Saturday 6th June 2020 12:52PM -
Wow Mary those are fantastic stories! Have you created Chronicles for your ancestors? We can link them to the Workhouse now and that will help to create a bigger picture of the human side of these buildings. I think you may be right about Catherine and her siblings being born in the Workhouse, which would have been very common.
If you need any assistance in creating Chronicles then I would be happy to help.
Chronicles Editor
Monday 8th June 2020 09:20AM
