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The Workhouse System in Ireland

Down County Museum, Downpatrick, English Street, Downpatrick, County Down, BT30 6AH
Image showing the standard layout of an Irish Workhouse

About

This free talk provides historical context for the current Downpatrick Workhouse exhibition in Down County Museum. It explains how and why workhouses were introduced to Ireland, what life was like in the workhouse and how the system faced the crisis of the Great Famine in the late 1840s. The people running the workhouses will be introduced along with stories of the people forced to turn to the workhouse as a last resort.

Dr Robyn Atcheson is a social historian who specialises in workhouses in the nineteenth century. Robyn teaches at Queen's University Belfast as well as running tours and events on medical history and women's history. She is currently working on a project to commemorate the burial ground of the Belfast workhouse and researching workhouses across Ulster.

Facilities

Accessibility

  • All areas accessible to disabled visitors

Parking & Transport

  • On site parking
  • Station nearby

Guide Prices

Ticket TypeTicket Tariff
TicketFree

Please contact the organiser for any further information that's required.

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Tel +44 (0)330 137 4049

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What's Nearby

  1. Down County Museum is located in the old county Gaol of Down. It houses fascinating…

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Related

Entrance to Down County Museum, DownpatrickDown County Museum, DownpatrickDown County Museum is located in the old county Gaol of Down. It houses fascinating exhibitions on the history of Down as well as restored cells with life-size figures of prisoners and their gaolers.

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