Figure 1.--This the children's ward in the Belfast Work House in 1906. Conditions in these facilities had improved from the horific conditions reported in the mid-19th century, but they were still hardly humane institutions. They still rigidly separated families, men, women, nd children were all housed separately. Notice that this is Christms Day with a visit from Santa, but on this most family event, the children are still kept from their parents.

The primary government institution that children involve children is of course schools. There are other important instituions for children, especially charity institutions. The two most important here are the work house and orphanage. Our informtion is limited, but as best we can tell these institutions were similar to those in England, but there were definite differences. Of course until after World War I, Ireland was not divided. Thus there are no separate stories for southern and northern Ireland. There is a sad history of work houses in Ireland. And by the time the division took place (1920s), the work houses were being closed throughout the United Kingsom. Workhouses existed in Ireland before the 19th century, but on a relatively limited scale. The Irish Parliament passed an Act (1703) which set up a House of Industry in Dublin 'for the employment and maintaining the poor thereof'. [O'Connor] Authorities had the authority to commit people and to punish those already there. The punishments included flogging, imprisonment, and deportation. These houses were set up at various sites throughout Ireland. Ireland became part of Great Britain under the Act of Union during the wars of the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars (1801). The British government attempted to address the problem of widespread poverty in Ireland A succession of Parliamentary Select Committees (1804, 1819, 1823, and 1830) achived next to nothing. And there were virtual non-stop Royal Commissions and Special Committees of Enquiry which investigated the situation in Ireland (1800-40). The British Government seemed more concerned about Irish emigration to England than in dealing with the poverty problem. Parliament passed the landmark 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act which made the work house the only form of poor relief in England and Wales. Parliament decided that this was not suitable for Ireland. Parliament thus passed the ground breakinhg Irish Poor Law Act (1838), just before the horiffic Irish Polato Famine. It proved a disaster. Some 130 workhouses were constructed. Many of these imposing, if forboding tructures still exist.Construction was still underway when the Potato Famine occurred. Men woman and children died insused and outdside the poor houses waiting to be admitted. Until the Potato Famine few Irish people emigrated to Ameruca. Catholocism was a factor. The Potato Famine disaster changed that and the Irish became the first large group of European Catholics to reach America.

Institutions

The primary government institution that children involve children is of course schools. There are other important instituions for children, especially charity institutions. The two most important here are the work house and orphanage. Our informtion is limited, but as best we can tell these institutions were similar to those in England, but there were definite differences.

United Ireland

Of course until after World War I, Ireland was not divided. Thus there are no separate stories for southern and northern Ireland. There is a sad history of work houses in Ireland. And by the time the division took place (1920s), the work houses were being closed throughout the United Kingsom. Workhouses existed throughout all of the United Kingdom, in England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland (all of Ireland was part of the United Kingdom during the 19th century when the work houses were established in substatial numbers. Ireland remained part of the United Kingdom until the formation of the Irish Free State in the 1920s. Thus the British Parliament was the goiverning legislative body. Parliament had, however, based a different law to deal with poverty in Ireland than was the case ion the rest of the United Kingdom.

Early Charity Efforts

The Catholic Church was virtually the only institutin offering charity and poor relief in Ireland for most of the country's history. The chief provider of this aid were the monastaries and other church jnstitutions such as cincenats snd friaries. When Henry VIII disiolved/supressed the monastaries (1536-41), this destoyed the primary institution providing poor relief throughout Ireland. Work houses existed in Ireland before the 18th century, but on a relatively limited scale.

The 18th Century

The Irish Parliament passed an Act (1703) which set up a House of Industry in Dublin 'for the employment and maintaining the poor thereof'. [O'Connor] Authorities had the authority to commit people and to punish those already there. The punishments included flogging, imprisonment, and deportation. These houses were set up at various sites throughout Ireland.

The 19th Century

Ireland became part of Great Britain under the Act of Union during the wars of the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars (1801). The British government attempted to address the problem of widespread poverty in Ireland A succession of Parliamentary Select Committees (1804, 1819, 1823, and 1830) achived next to nothing. And there were virtual non-stop Royal Commissions and Special Committees of Enquiry which investigated the situation in Ireland (1800-40). The British Government seemed more concerned about Irish emigration to England than in dealing with the poverty problem. Parliament passed the landmark 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act which made the work house the only form of poor relief in England and Wales. Parliament decided that this was not suitable for Ireland. Parliament thus passed the ground breakinhg Irish Poor Law Act (1838), just before the horiffic Irish Polato Famine. It proved a disaster. The Poor Law Act was introduced in 1838 to provide relief for the poorest and most destitute people in Ireland. From it's narrow social base, it expanded to become the major source of Ireland's social services in the last century. Between 1838 and 1852, 163 workhouses were built throughout the country, each at the centre of an area known as a Poor Law Union. The workhouses were normally situated in a large market town, and the Poor Law Union comprised the town and its catchment area, with the result that the Unions in many cases ignored the existing boundaries of parish and county. Many of these imposing, if forboding tructures still exist. The workhouse in the town provided relief for the unemployed and destitute, generally under very harsh conditions. The philosophy of the workhouse system was that life should be unpleasant for the inmates. This was achieved by a very strict, sometimes inhuman regime. The workhouses were places of last resort, an option only to be considered as an alternative to starvation. Conditions at workhouses could be wretched and the situation in Iish work houses could be even worse than in England. This was of course especially the case in the 1840s during the Potato Famiune also called the Great Famine. The following is a description of conditions in the Clifden Workhouse on Christmas Day 1847, taken from a report by John Deane, Poor Law Inspector for the Clifden Union, to the Relief Commission (December 25, 1847).

"The inmates of the house are crowded together in a day-room breathing a tainted atmosphere. There is an insufficient supply of bedding and clothing. The rain pours down through the ventilating turrets into the rooms and the paupers are thus subjected to increased liability of infection. Directions have been given to provide increased accommodation, such as can be obtained. The contractor has been directed to supply additional bedding. A minute appears on the proceedings of the Guardians directing advertisements to be issued for tenders for the keeping in repair of the house according to the printed specifications furnished to me. All this has been formally done and yet I can tell the Commissioners from the experience I have obtained since my residence here, that it will be no easy matter to determine when these orders shall be completed. The contractor for clothing must be paid a portion of his debt before he gives any additional credit. The slatier, carpenter, mason, etc. will urge the state of the weather as being against their respective operations and while this delay is being experienced pestilence rages among the wretched inmates. On visiting the house a few days ago I was disgusted at learning that the dormitories (particularly those appropriated for children) are not supplied with night buckets. I forbear to describe the abominations consequent to this. The buckets had been long since ordered by the Guardians but the idle laziness of the tradesmen occasioned a delay in the execution of the order and the result was as I have stated. Now setting aside that the Guardians have no visiting committee, bearing in mind that they had actually ordered these articles, had also directed their contractor to supply bedding and had issued advertisements for tenders, I cannot attach blame to them since my official connection with their Board. The Commissioners will, I trust, agree with me that the difficulties I have to meet are associated with and almost inseparable from the locality in which the workhouse is placed in the Union; so distant as it is from towns where the Guardians could supply themselves with materials and contractors for executing necessary works. I regret to state that Dr. Bodkin's brother who accompanied him to the workhouse hospital about a week since, for the purpose of assisting him in his medical duties, died today of malignant typhus fever. I mention this fact with the view of assuring the Commissioners that I shall now find it still more difficult to induce the Guardians to visit the house. Within the last week the weather has been most inclement and has brought with it a vast increase of disease and misery" [Villiers-Tuthill]

Construction was still underway when the Potato Famine occurred. Men woman and children died insused and outdside the poor houses waiting to be admitted. Until the Potato Famine few Irish people emigrated to America. Catholocism was a factor. The Potato Famine disaster changed that and the Irish became the first large group of European Catholics to reach America. The Famine created a worldwide Irish disapora, but the principal destination was America and it continued long after the Famine. The first immigrant to pass throughthe federal immigrant inspection at the Ellis Island station in New York Harbor was a young Irish girl, Annie Moore (1892).

Sources

O'Connor, John. Workhouses of Ireland: The Fate of Ireland's Poor.

Villiers-Tuthill, Kathleen. Patient Endurance: The Great Famine In Connemara.

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Created: 6:39 AM 5/4/2018
Last updated: 6:39 AM 5/4/2018