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Derry City and Strabane District Council

  1. Strabane

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Derry City and Strabane District Council
Address: 47 Derry Rd, Strabane BT82 8DY, UK
Phone: 028 7125 3253
State: Derry and Strabane
City: Strabane
Zip Code: BT82 8DY

opening times

Monday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Tuesday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Wednesday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Thursday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Friday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Saturday: Closed
Sunday: Closed

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Reviews
Strabane’s Union Workhouse 1841 - 1930.nPrior to the famine, Strabane was a bustling market town of over 5000 people, connected to the Foyle by a canal and by the mid-1800s to neighbouring towns.nnThe Strabane Poor Law Union was officially declared on 6 April 1839 and covered an area of 209 mi2 541 km2.nThe Strabane Union Workhouse was originally planned to be built at Magirr in the Bridge Street area of the town, on land owned by James Hamilton b.1811 d.1885, Marquis of Abercorn. This site was rejected as unsuitable so the workhouse was planned to be built on a 5-acre site to the North of Strabane, on the east side of the Derry Road know the Derry City & Strabane District Council Offices.nIt was designed by the Poor Law Commisioner’s archetect George Wilkinson b.1814 d.1890. The building was based on one of his standard plans to accomidate a maximum capacity of 800 inmates. An entrance and administrative block at the west contained porter’s room and waiting room at the centre with Guardians’ board room on the first floor above. Extensions were later added at each side to provide childrens accomidation and school rooms.nnThe main accommodation block had a Master’s Quarters at the centre, with male and female wings at each side. At the rear, a range of single-story utility rooms such as bake house and washrooms connected through to the infimary and idiots wards via a central spine containing a chapel and dining-hall. A burial ground was located to the north-east.nThe Commissioners in Dublin had given Wilkinson instructions to design “a series of plans of different capacities, capable of holding from 330 to 1,300 inmates”.nnDespite the Irish workhouse being larger, compared to England, Wilkinson initially achieved savings of one third from the English buildings, a principal policy of the Poor Law. Expenditure was reduced by a lower standard of accommodation in Ireland, for example, his plans called for earthen floors instead of timber, considered suitable especially for the Irish inmates because, “both in point of economy and in being better adapted to their habits, most of whom did not have shoes and stockings, and were accustomed to floors of common earth”.nWilkinson also introduced his own cost-saving, sleeping platforms instead of bedsteads in the dormitories, white-washed internal walls instead of plastered walls, bare rafters instead of ceilings.nnThe Strabane construction was carried out by Messers Patterson & Catcheside at a cost of £6,885, plus £1,355 for fittings etc, totaling £8,240. It was delcared fit for the reception of paupers on 18 November 1841 and admitted its first inmates the same day.nnIt’s operation was overseen by an elected Board of Guardians, 25 in number. The board also included 5 ex-officio Guardians, making a total of 30. The Guardians met each week on a Tuesday.nnThe nomination of Guardians for this Union took place on Thursday, 25 April 1839, before the Returning Officer, the Hon. Mr. Clements being also in attendance, besides several Magistrates of the town and neighbourhood, and others throughout the Union.nnThey represented the 24 electoral divisions listed as follows:nCo.Tyrone: Altaclady, Ballymagorry, Ballyneaner, Barron's Court, Caums, Church Lands, Douglas Burn, Dunnalong, Dunnamanagh, Glenmornan, Mountcastle, Newtown Stewart, Strabane, and East Urney.nCo. Donegal: Castle Finn, Cloghard, North Conleigh, South Conleigh, Feddyglass, Figgart, Raphoe, St Johnstown, Treantamucklagh, and West Urney.nnIn 1845 the Great Famine An Gorta Mór began and hundreds went to the workhouse to receive aid. Food in the workhouse was prepared in two 400 gallon boilers, with a further 100 gallon boiler used for “stirabout”. It has been estimated that on the eve of the famine 30% of Irish people were largely or wholly dependant on potatoes as the primary diet.nnThe initial workhouse diet was a breakfast of stirabout a weak oatmeal porridge and milk with a dinner of potatoes and milk. When the potato blight struck, this diet was substituted by white bread and Indian meal.
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Strabane Hospital 70 meters
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29-37 Derry Road 320 meters
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