History & Restoration

The renovation of Carrickmacross Workhouse to make it what you see today has been the result of many years planning, fundraising and hard work carried out by the committee and many interested people from the area. Today it stands as a testiment to those families who had no choice but to move into the workhouse for survival during famine times. It has been beautifully restored, as close to the original architecture and features as possible while making it a practical modern working environment with offices, meeting rooms and catering facilities.

Carrickmacross Poor Law Union was formally declared on the 5th November 1839 and covered an area of 94 square miles. Its operation was overseen by an elected Board of Guardians, 16 in number, representing its 14 electoral divisions as listed below (figures in brackets indicate numbers of Guardians if more than one):

Co. Monaghan: Ballymackney, Bocks, Carrickmacross (3), Corracharra, Crossalare, Donaghmoyne, Drumboorg, Drumcarrow, Drumgurra, Enagh, Kilmurry, Kiltybegs, Loughfea, Referagh.

The Board also included 5 ex-officio Guardians, making a total of 21. The Guardians met each week on Thursday. The population falling within the Union at the 1831 census had been 36,927 with Divisions ranging in size from Corracharra (population 1,530) to Carrickmacross itself (6,140).

The new Carrickmacross Union workhouse was erected on a six-acre site at the north-west of Carrickmacross. Designed by the Poor Law Commissioners' architect George Wilkinson, the building followed one of his standard design to accommodate 500 inmates. Its construction cost £5,000 plus £977 for fittings etc.

The workhouse was declared fit for the reception of paupers on 25th October, 1842, and received its first admissions on 11th February 1843.

The original administrative block was extended westwards in 1851, ending in a three-storey cross wing in which children's accommodation and schoolroom were located.
The upper floor of the children's block had the standard raised platforms on which the inmates slept.

To the rear was an accommodation block, two-storeys high except for a three-storey cross-wing at the western end matching the children's extension in the front block. There was also an observation tower giving views over the inmates' yards.

During the famine in the 1847, a fever hospital was erected on a separate site to the south-east of the workhouse. Additional accommodation for 249 was provided by constructing sleeping galleries in the workhouse and by hiring two houses.