lunaticasylum

National Library of Ireland on The Commons - "... with boys sprinkled like raisins in a currant bun ..." A simile committing suicide is always a depressing spectacle. Oscar Wilde

Opened in 1865, 'Enniscorthy District Lunatic Asylum for the Insane and Poor of Mind' otherwise was known as St Senan's psychiatric hospital www.buildingsofireland.ie/niah/search.jsp?type=record&... There are too many trees to get a clear Streetview www.google.ie/maps/@52.4874776,-6.5656767,3a,50.8y,53.78h... The photograph was taken from the bank of the River Slaney looking East. maps.osi.ie/publicviewer/#V2,697254,638429,10,9 The saplings look to be about 3-5 years old and if planted when building completed would date picture late 1860's

More about it here www.independent.ie/regionals/enniscorthyguardian/news/st-...

I was going to say these designs almost seemed to have bought off the peg. The Downshire Hospital in Downpatrick is an equally majestic building, and screened by trees like this one.

W.L and Co. was there a few years later. The same trees are well on. catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000326204

Hmmm - not one I have any personnal memories of :-) The one gent has got himself a warm spot. It is really well decorated with the wood panelling and the frieze and he paintings.

Maybe that is the superintendant at back left. So very posed with only one inmate allowed to clutter the scene :-(

Such a sad and somewhat tragic image!

There was a honking great Lunatic Asylum on John's Hill (OS 25" link) Flipping between the historic 1905 and modern maps at the OSI, it looks as if all the 1905 buildings are still there. This room may still be in there somewhere, and the round widow is distinctive... The basic layout was there in the 1841 6" map, too.

billh35 Yes I agree. I came across this from Hansard HC Deb 30 June 1910 vol 18 cc1090-1 1090 Captain CRAIG asked the Chief Secretary whether his attention had been called to the last report of the resident medical superintendent of Waterford District Lunatic Asylum, dated 13th June, in which he referred to the unusual number of 1091 assistants who had been confined to bed with various ailments; whether he was aware that one of the attendants had stated that, although the hours of duty performed by the attendants were far in excess of other workers, everything pointed to an increase in that direction owing to the number of attendants on the sick list, and to such an extent were the staff overworked that they were deprived of every third Sunday off, which ran their rest up to the sixth Sunday; and whether, in view of the number of cases which had been brought to light of overworking attendants in asylums in Ireland, he would take steps to ensure that their hours were shortened to something approximating the ordinary working day?

What was going on at 12:35 ? The clock is in a cage!

Spot the Differences - catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000320246

“Carlow District Lunatic Asylum admitted its first patient on 7 May 1832 and initially served the counties of Carlow, Kildare, Wexford and Kilkenny, and the city of Kilkenny. The Asylum District changed twice: in 1852 and 1868, asylums opened to cater for Kilkenny and Wexford patients, respectively. After 1868 then, Carlow District Lunatic Asylum catered only for Carlow and Kildare patients. From the enactment of the Local Government Act, 1925, Carlow District Lunatic Asylum became known as Carlow District Mental Hospital. It became known by its current name, St Dympna’s Hospital, in 1958.”

There is another photo from the right, also at 12:35, but no people, Perhaps the clock was not working? - catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000320245

Via Delany Archive Ireland

beachcomber australia Exactly. What was going on here?