1800s Abandoned Lunatic Asylum

Built in the mid 1800s this asylum was only ever intended to hold 200 hundred people. However this quickly changed when numbers quickly reached capacity so the main block was extended and new wings were added to accomodate the influx of patients.

This is a common theme throughout all the aslyums in the country, north and south of the boarder. As numbers increased the conditions dimminished.

The building has 3 floors including a basement level. There are reports of chains and beds still stored there. We couldn't find access into these.

Cells line the corridors.

Not much room for anything except a bed.

Through some research online you can see that in 1851 there were 3,234 individuals resident in asylums and by 1891 this had increased to 11,265. Shocking figures to say the least.

A solitary chair, as if this is a place to think, or a place for punishment. I'm not sure.

"For people placed in ‘lunatic asylums,’ the conditions were harrowing. Cells had stone floors, with little or no heating or ventilation, and were exposed during winter. Given overcrowding, patients (or ‘inmates’ as they were called) were vulnerable to epidemics, euphemistically described as ‘fevers’.

Corpses lay for days without being removed. Patients were restrained with manacles locked on their ankles by a chain so they could be fastened to a bed, and were subjected to bizarre experiments." - 'the irish examiner'

The atmosphere was light, something that you'd expect the oppositie in a building like this, though I know this can change quickly depending on conditions.

The beautiful architechure and church like windows still remain.

We are planning on making a return visit soon to try and find the basement level to document. Watch this space!