New book and reunions celebrate the Downshire

New book and reunions celebrate the Downshire

21 March 2012 - by David Telford

A FASCINATING history of the iconic Downshire Hospital has been lovingly wrapped up in a major new publication.

A book tracing the life and times of the Downshire — which has been at the forefront of psychiatric care for over 140 years — was launched last week.

The unveiling of the aptly named A Grand Old Lady took place at a reunion night at the Downpatrick hospital for former Downshire staff who got together to reminisce about how psychiatric services have developed and changed to meet people’s needs.

The man at the helm of the superb book is Dr. Sean Kelly a former nurse at the Downshire and nurse tutor who tells the story of the “asylum” and its place in society.

The Downpatrick man was asked to trace the history of the Downshire by the South Eastern Trust, with his book charting the development of the treatment of mental illness from its inception to the modern psychiatric services of today.

Dr. Kelly captures the sense of community, of great caring and the affection with which the Grand Old Lady is held within the local community and beyond.

The last remaining 40 patients at the imposing Downshire Hospital building are due to move out within the next few months as the majestic Victorian building begins a new lease of life at the heart of the town’s new public sector campus.

And as the final chapter closes on the hospital’s role as a ground-breaking psychiatric facility, Dr. Kelly has been tracing its illustrious history which is now in print.

More familiar with writing academic papers, Dr. Kelly has produced what will no doubt become an important historical reference manual for a building which has not only dominated the Downpatrick skyline, but provided employment for hundreds of local people over the years. The new publication is also a must-read for former members of staff and their families.

Dr. Kelly acquired an encyclopaedic knowledge of the Downshire and its many stories

and characters as a result of detailed and in-depth research and reveals

in his book that it was originally known as the Co. Down Lunatic Asylum and cost just over £60,000 to build.

The book reveals the doors of the psychiatric hospital opened to its first 50 patients on October 9, 1869, with the patients walking behind a band through the streets of Downpatrick up to the Ardglass Road from the Market Street train station where their Belfast train had arrived moments earlier.

Measuring nearly 1,000 feet across the main frontage, the Downshire was originally designed for 333 patients, 45 in single rooms and the remainder in dormitories. But it was to go on to house over 1,000 patients.

Dr. Kelly said it was his “honour and privilege” to have been asked to write the life and times of the Downshire. He said the ‘Grand Old Lady’ had served people well and contributed massively to the economic and social life of the community since it opened.

“The life and times of the Downshire has been shaped by the many thousands of patients, staff, relatives, families and visitors that have had contact with it and it has given back much in return. Not only has it been a beacon for psychiatry, but also the lifeblood of the local community,” he said.

Dr. Kelly also acknowledges that the new publication is by no means a complete history of the hospital, explaining it’s just the beginning of that process.

He added: “It has been a difficult road as there is no archive of material relating to the Downshire available. Information has come from many sources held by many people and I wish to thank everyone who has shared documents, photographs, press cuttings and anecdotes to enable the story to be told.

“We now have the beginnings of a good archive of material, but we desperately need more. We would be grateful if those who read the book could share any additional material to enable the archive to be expanded for use in the future.”

n Copies of the book, priced £15, are available from the Finance Department at the Downshire Hospital, the Down Arts Centre, or by contacting Mr. Kelly directly on (028) 4461 5519.