Downpatrick Workhouse exhibition

Downpatrick Workhouse exhibition

11 June 2025

A FASCINATING new exhibition exploring the complex history of the Downpatrick Workhouse has opened at the Down County Museum.

Just a small part of the Strangford Road workhouse – which closed 80 years ago this year – remains and the building enjoys protected status.

The new exhibition runs until the end of November and explores the harsh realities faced by residents who entered its doors through the artefacts and objects on display, including a famine pot, documents, architectural drawings and plans. 

The workhouse admitted the first paupers on September 17 1842 and continued to operate until 1945. 

Construction began in 1840 following the ‘Act for the More Effectual Relief of the Destitute Poor (1838)’, also known as the ‘Irish Poor Laws’. 

Outdoor relief such as soup kitchens stopped and the poor now only received support within the workhouse. 

Outgoing Newry, Mourne and Down Council chairman Pete Byrne said described the exhibition as a “powerful reminder” of a harsher time in Downpatrick’s past and will be a valuable resource for those interested in the history and built heritage of our area.”

Museum curator, Dr Kris Reid, said the story of Downpatrick workhouse is one it is privileged to share. 

“We hope visitors will gain an insight into this particularly challenging period in our history and take the opportunity to see objects from the original workhouse complex,” he added.

The design of the Irish workhouse aimed to discourage as many as possible from seeking refuge there. 

Nicholls’ 1838 report summed up the challenge — “The standard of their mode of living is unhappily so low that the establishment of one still lower is difficult.” 

All 130 workhouses built in Ireland followed a design by George Wilkinson, a 25-year-old English architect. 

The brief for the workhouses required that they be “of the cheapest deion compatible with durability.” 

They were a third less expensive than English workhouses while still meeting the requirements for segregation by sex and age.