The Irish Workhouse Museum

We recently posted a picture of the front door of the Centre on our Facebook page. It got some of us wondering about the significance of the colour green. We've heard it said  anecdotally that the colour had a specific association with the building. We've tried to find out more about this but nothing has popped up so far.  The front door at the Irish Workhouse Centre, Portumna Some of the staff here know that the colour was a popular one in the Victorian period. This seems to be particularly true in relation to clothing and soft furnishings. In the early 1800s, a German company began producing a new hue, the ' Schweinfurt green', named after where it was produced. It became so popular that soon carpets and wallpapers were reproduced in the same green colour, alongside the fashionable dresses of the time. One of the key ingredients in the vibrant  emerald  green was arsenic, so perhaps this is where some of the distaste for the colour comes from.  In...

I know that no one wants to talk about New Year Resolutions but I am very happy with my vow to use the local library more. It is a win/win situation. The library gets user support, which is increasingly important in the wake of so many library closures. As the saying goes, if you don't use it, you lose it! After all, what's not to love about lots and lots of free books, and getting a healthy time-out from digital devices. Libraries are especially important if, like me, you don't have the money to splash out on rare or special interest books. With this in mind let's have a look at some of the great workhouse books that are out there, all of which I have borrowed from my local library in Portumna. Grim Bastilles of Despair by Paschal Mahoney is one of the latest books to be written specifically about Irish workhouses. Do not be put off by the title. This volume is a series of essays which makes it really easy to read. Paschal is an architect, so this volume ...

The two adult woman are: on the left May Conway (Gortanumera) and on the right Kitty Hayes (Al Hayes mother) The young girls from left to right are : Rita Conway, Josephine Conway, Mary Conway, Maeve Hayes, Esther Hayes and Ann Conway A few days ago, two ladies brought in a photograph taken at Portumna Workhouse in c.1964. The  occasion was the annual Portumna Show and in the background is a glimpse of the workhouse laundry building. The snapshot got us all talking about Portumna workhouse after it closed in 1921 so I decided to dig out our newspaper cuttings and see what I could find. Photo by  Rishabh Sharma  on  Unsplash The closure of Portumna Workhouse was announced in March 1921. Not every Galway workhouse is scheduled to shut. Galway, Tuam and Loughrea will stay open. Ballinasloe and Clifden are retained as District Hospitals.  (03 March 1921, The Irish Independent) Photo by  Cristina Gottardi  on  Unsplash B...

From left to right: Aileen O'Dowd, Mary Healy-Walshe, David Broderick, Clare Lowery, Frances Robinson, Donal Burke Last night saw the packed launch of the first ever book dedicated to a chapter of Portumna Workhouse history. Finding Ogle: The mystery of the Disappearing Master solves a century old mystery and is the debut book of Local Historian David Broderick. "In 1865 the Master of Portumna Workhouse, Henry Ogle, absconded under a shroud of mystery. It took over 150 years to finally find Ogle. Follow this fascinating story between Ogle and his nemesis, a determined missionary priest, Fr. Patrick Donnellan. The story begins in famine ravaged Ireland, explores the cruelty of the workhouse and crosses the Atlantic into the American Civil War." Original Illustration by Jenny Wood-Sullivan David became fascinated with the mystery of Henry Ogle while he was a researcher at the Irish Workhouse Centre but it has been a long road to the book lau...

Behind the Scenes at the Shorelines Gallery set up The upper storeys of the workhouse are slowly being transformed in a wonderland of artistic expression. There is something very cathartic about seeing the walls change from bare, white-washed reminders of a cruel regime to a multi-coloured kaleidoscope of free expression. In case you haven't guessed what I am talking about, it's the return  of the annual art exhibition in The Gallery at the Workhouse. This will run from the 9th September-22nd September. Themes of beauty, mystery, colour and myth are all expressed in a variety of mediums. Let's dive in and see what is on offer! Fine-tuning the painting layout Ann McKenna is a painter and print-maker whose work conjures fairy-tales and Shakespeare in equal measure.  https://www.annmckenna.ie/ Lisa Griffin is an Irish photographer with an amazing eye for fashion photography and a dream-like quality to her work.  https://www.flickr.com/photos/lisagriffi...

The Irish Workhouse Centre is very proud to have recently hosted a selection of paintings by Killeen native Mary Conroy. The works had been created over the past 12 years and represent the first solo exhibition by the Fine Arts graduate. Mary currently resides in Cork but retains strong ties with her family in Portumna. Indeed, she attended Portumna secondary school long before she attended Crawford College of Art and Design (Cork) where she graduated with a BA in Fine Art in 2008, and a H. Dip in Art Design in 2010. The exhibition vividly showcases Mary's love of nature. Her oil paint depictions of sea splashed rocks show a perfect match of medium and subject. Sparkling light and restless waves brings life to the dark colours of her Irish seascapes. Vibrant watercolours glow with warm, welcoming shades that draw you into their country scenes. Detailed depictions of flowers show a keen botanical eye yet keep a fluid carefree style. This is not the first...

Heritage Week already! It feels like we've only just finished cleaning up craft supplies and tea lights after last year's events when it's time to get ready again.  This year National Heritage Week runs from 17-25 August with events literally in every county. The Irish Workhouse Centre has lots to offer with children's workshops, a Gaeilge Day and loads of free talks.  The theme this year is Pastimes & Past Times, exploring the links between history and hobbies. On Saturday 17th bring the kids to a craft session called 'Communicating in the Past'. The session is on at Portumna workhouse and run by local artist Paula Byrne  (cost 2 euro per child & booking essential).  Let the whole family explore the link between the ancient Irish alphabet called Ogham and Celtic tree-lore. For instance, did you know that we all have a tree linked to our name? Each child will craft their own special book mark to bring home. Start time is 12 o'clo...