The Workhouse: Bawnboy 

11 Nov 1921: Bawnboy Union Workhouse at Corrasmongan, Co. Cavan closed its doors for the final time. Operation of this workhouse had commenced 68 years prior on 24 Nov 1853. The site comprised 8 Irish Acres purchased from local landlord J.D. Rochford for £200 plus annual ground rent of £1:10.

The Bawnboy Union had been declared on 26 Apr 1850 and on 14 June 1851, a workhouse construction contract was awarded to lowest local bidder, one James Creden of Enniskillen. For the sum of £4,800. Creden was to complete the project in just 18 months. Capacity was 500 souls, but due to largely timing and additional workhouses already in the Cavan / Leitrim area – Bawnboy Union would typically run less than full.

You may note that construction commenced as the The Great Hunger was winding down in 1851. Further, Bawnboy Workhouse did not take in its first paupers for a further two years. Why would that be???

The Bawnboy Workhouse was part of a 2nd phase in Irish workhouse construction supplementing roughly 120 similar facilities already in operation. Designed by Poor Law Commissioner Geroge Wilkinson, it would be the only "new" workhouse in Ulster and serve 26 electoral divisions across Co. Leitrim and Co. Cavan specifically:

Ballinamore, Ballyconnell, Ballymagauran, Bawnboy, Benbrack, Bilberry, Carn, Cloverhill, Corrala, Diamond, Doogary, Drumreilly North, Drumreilly South, Garadice, Greaghglass, Killygar, Kinawley, Lissanover, Newtowngore, Oughteragh, Pedara, Vohners, Stralongford, Swanlinbar, Templeport, and Tircahan.

Simply put, intermittent hunger and poverty exasperated by the tenant system and large scale food exports pre-dated An Gorta Mor. In fact, much of new this new Union had faced similar conditions to The Great Famine in 1822-1823, albeit on a smaller scale. And while The Great Famine did end around 1851/1852, improvements came in pockets rather than uniformly across the island. Crop failures and poverty could be expected to remain part of life in Ireland for the foreseeable future – but workhouses and the deplorable conditions faced by their residents were never an appropriate solution.  They were in fact, a British concept geared toward cities and an industrial economy and would never work in Ireland..

Today Bawnboy Workhouse is one of few on the island where major components remain relatively intact. And given the historical significance of the site extensive maintenance and repair operations were undertaken by the local community. Many of the outbuildings do however require major intervention to prevent deterioration to a point beyond repair and future use of the buildings are uncertain. For more information about the history & preservation efforts check out: www.workhouse.bawnboy.com and www.workhouses.org.uk