Dunshaughlin Workhouse, known also as The Old Workhouse, is located approximately 1.6 kilometres from the village of Dunshaughlin in County Meath (Barrett, 2008; Google Maps, 2015). Located on the Dublin Road, the Dunshaughlin Workhouse is a prominent feature visible to all who pass by it. Despite this, there are few sources of information available from which to gain any real understanding of the significance of the building (P. Lynch, personal communication, January 16, 2015).
Reasons for the Location
There are several known reasons behind the chosen geographical location of Dunshaughlin Workhouse. During the 1800's, when the workhouse was originally built, (Barrett, 2008; O'Connor, 1995) Dunshaughlin was the Administration Centre of County Meath (P. Lynch, personal communication, January 16, 2015). As the Administration Centre of the county, the town was a hive of activity within Meath, and with its close proximity to the Petty Courthouse in Dunshaughlin it was ideal for locating a building such as the workhouse.
The reason also lies within government decision – when the English government chose to erect workhouses throughout the country under the Poor Law system, it was towns with local governments and unions such as Dunshaughlin which were the chosen location (“Meath has Come Down”, n.d.; Pennethorne, 1844). In the EPPI report (1844), James Pennethorne lists the other criteria for the location of a workhouse: A town in a pleasant area, a town with access to spring water and an adequate system of drainage, and a site which could be obtained at a reasonable cost. The road on which the workhouse is situated was, at the time, the main road into Meath from Dublin (P. Lynch, personal communication, January 16, 2015).
The Layout
With relation to the Geography Primary School Curriculum (1999), a study of the layout of the workhouse and its location would relate to the strand unit “The local natural environment”.
The basic layout of the workhouses across Ireland was similar. The workhouse began with a two storey entrance and an administration block which faced onto the road. This administration block contained two rooms; one for the reception of paupers into the workhouse, and a board room for the guardians to hold their meetings (Barrett, 2008). A two storey accommodation block with three storey cross wings on either side was located behind the administration block. This accommodation block housed quarters for the master and matron, separate schoolrooms for boys and girls on the ground floor, separate bedrooms for boys and girls on the second floor, a nursery for young children and bedrooms for elderly men and women (Barrett, 2008). Behind the accommodation block were located the “kitchens, dining room, chapel, washhouses and day rooms” (Barrett, 2008, p.41). Finally, a central long corridor linked these rooms to the infirmary and the “idiot wards” (Barrett, 2008). Alterations were made to these designs as time went on, something looked at during the historical investigation (Barrett, 2008; O'Connor, 1995).