Dungannon Workhouse: Orphans sent to Australia remembered
Each pebble represented 1,000 people who passed through its doors between 1842 and 1948.The names belong to a group of young women from County Tyrone who were sent from the workhouse to Australia between 1848 and 1850.They were part of a group that would become known as the Irish Famine Orphan Girls.
A place of last resort
In 1845, as poverty and starvation increased during the famine in Ireland, workhouses began to open.Their purpose was to offer succour and survival, but there was a saying that "the road to the workhouse was the road to death" - and for thousands it was.For more than 100 years Dungannon workhouse was a place of last resort for thousands of men, women, and children who faced famine, poverty and illness.Those who died in Dungannon workhouse are buried in a large-scale paupers' grave on the site close to what is now South Tyrone Hospital.
On the hospital grounds there is a memorial garden in tribute to those who lived and died in the workhouse.The Southern Trust, which owns the land, recently refurbished the garden in preparation for a memorial event at the end of June to honour the history of the site.Members of Donaghmore Historical Society helped organise the event.Mary MacGinty is chair of the society.She said: "It is about honouring the lives of those who passed through the doors of Dungannon Workhouse and it's important to remember this is still very recent history, the workhouse only closed in 1948."
'I remember the workhouse children'
Frank Shields is a member of the historical society who has memories of seeing children from Dungannon Workhouse at his school.Born in 1939 he said he remembers the young girls from the workhouse "vividly"."They wore these laced up black boots, like soldiers' boots, a grey skirts and dark coloured cardigans - they were dressed differently than everyone else."I also remember the young boys from the workhouse, they all wore these cut down grey trousers and often they had this brown paper bag with just a piece of bread in it, God help them."
The Donaghmore Historical Society has also been working closely with another historical group in Australia.Together they have traced a number of girls who were sent from Dungannon Workhouse to Melbourne.They were sent as part of the Earl Grey Scheme.Under the scheme between 1848 and 1850, more than 4,000 young Irish female orphans left workhouses and were transported to Australia.
The Earl Grey Scheme
Earl Grey was secretary of state for the colonies and the aim of the scheme was to reduce overcrowding in workhouses and provide labour for Australia while reducing a big gender imbalance there.Of the 4,114 Irish Famine orphan girls sent to Australia, 94 were from County Tyrone and 21 of those girls came from Dungannon Workhouse.Siobhan O'Neill lives in Melbourne and is part of the Famine Orphan Girls Commemoration Committee."The girls from Dungannon left in January during an Irish winter, spent three months on a boat and they would have arrived during an Australian summer, so it must have felt so alien to them," she said."It was a new colony so it would have been quite the frontier, many were treated with shame, but they were also very resilient and ended up raising large families and prospering."A tribute was paid to the girls during the recent memorial service on the site of the former Dungannon Workhouse.While a traditional Irish ballad was played, the names of the young women were read out loud.This included the name of Eliza Addy.
'I'm humbly proud'
Eliza Addy was born in 1834 in Dungannon and had worked as a domestic servant before entering the workhouse. When she was 16 years old she was chosen for the Earl Grey Scheme.She arrived in Melbourne on 10 January 1850 and would go onto work on a farm in Melbourne.In 1854 she married and had nine children. She died in the western Victorian town of Stawell in 1910.Descendants of Eliza Addy regularly attend the annual Irish Famine Orphan Girls Commemoration in Australia.
Her great, great, great granddaughter Leanne Seignior still lives in Australia.She says her family have been very touched by Eliza's inclusion in the Dungannon workhouse ceremony.She added: "It blows my mind to think about how much she went through and survived, from the famine, to the trauma of the workhouse, then the boat trip and to arrive across the world at that age."To find the strength and resilience to keep goingm raise her family and now all these generations later to be remembered in her home country makes me incredibly humbly proud."
There has also been ongoing work to uncover more information about other workhouses in mid ulster.The old building of Magherafelt Workhouse still exists in the form of Mid Ulster Hospital.Seamus O'Brien from the Loup Historical Society was at the memorial event for Dungannon Workhouse.
Seamus is asking people to come forward with any information on the workhouse, including relics such as records books."We're particularly interested in trying to find the old bell - it's about documenting this for future generations."A new memorial stone and information board at the main entrance to the former site of Magherafelt Workhouse is due to be unveiled at a launch event on 31 July.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BreakingNews.ie
4 hours ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Wreck of the SS Stolwijk: 10 crew members lost off the Donegal coast in 1940
In December 1940, the SS Stolwijk, a Dutch cargo ship, was wrecked off the coast of Co Donegal in hurricane-force winds. The ship's rudder was damaged in the storm on its journey from the Dominion of Newfoundland to Liverpool, England. Advertisement Attempts to rescue the ship by its destroyer failed, and it went on the rocks off Tory Island, Co Donegal. 10 crew members were lost, but the remaining 18 were rescued by the crew of the Arranmore lifeboat. Monuments and plaques remembering the bravery of the lifeboat crew are scattered around Arranmore island. Shortly before it struck the rock, a large wave washed the ship's radio officer, Paulus Vierkant, from the deck. He was the first to die. Another nine died when they jumped into the water and swam to a ship's lifeboat that had been washed overboard. The lifeboat was swept away. Advertisement The other 18 stayed on board until they were rescued. The rescue of the survivors was conducted in terrible weather conditions and both the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) and Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands awarded medals to the lifeboat crew. A Gold Medal was awarded to coxswain John Boyle, a Silver Medal was awarded to motor mechanic Teague Ward and Bronze Medals were awarded to crew members Philip Boyle, Philip Byrne, Neil Byrne, Bryan Gallagher, Patrick O'Donnell, and Joseph Rogers. The RNLI said this was a rescue of great daring, gallantry and endurance carried out in weather of "exceptional severity". Advertisement Each medal was accompanied by a copy of the decree making the award, in which Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands said the medal had been awarded for 'exceptionally outstanding courage, unselfishness and devotion to duty'. The owners of the Stolwijk, the Netherlands Shipping and Trading Co, gave £20 to be divided among the crew. The three bodies recovered following the tragedy were originally buried in the Church of Ireland graveyard in Killult, Donegal. In October 2000, the bodies were exhumed and re-interred at the National Cemetery of Honours in Loenen, Netherlands. In 2015, Jerry Early, a native of Arranmore and the last eye witness on the island to remember the day, released a song called 'I'll Go' to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the wreck and rescue.
BBC News
2 days ago
- BBC News
Dungannon Workhouse: Orphans sent to Australia remembered
On a quiet hill, overlooking the town of Dungannon, sits a memorial inscription reads: "To the memory of all those who sought shelter within these walls".Four pebbles were recently placed on top of it and the names of 21 young girls were read out was part of a remembrance service on the grounds of South Tyrone Hospital, the former site of Dungannon Workhouse. Each pebble represented 1,000 people who passed through its doors between 1842 and names belong to a group of young women from County Tyrone who were sent from the workhouse to Australia between 1848 and were part of a group that would become known as the Irish Famine Orphan Girls. A place of last resort In 1845, as poverty and starvation increased during the famine in Ireland, workhouses began to purpose was to offer succour and survival, but there was a saying that "the road to the workhouse was the road to death" - and for thousands it more than 100 years Dungannon workhouse was a place of last resort for thousands of men, women, and children who faced famine, poverty and who died in Dungannon workhouse are buried in a large-scale paupers' grave on the site close to what is now South Tyrone Hospital. On the hospital grounds there is a memorial garden in tribute to those who lived and died in the Southern Trust, which owns the land, recently refurbished the garden in preparation for a memorial event at the end of June to honour the history of the of Donaghmore Historical Society helped organise the MacGinty is chair of the said: "It is about honouring the lives of those who passed through the doors of Dungannon Workhouse and it's important to remember this is still very recent history, the workhouse only closed in 1948." 'I remember the workhouse children' Frank Shields is a member of the historical society who has memories of seeing children from Dungannon Workhouse at his in 1939 he said he remembers the young girls from the workhouse "vividly"."They wore these laced up black boots, like soldiers' boots, a grey skirts and dark coloured cardigans - they were dressed differently than everyone else."I also remember the young boys from the workhouse, they all wore these cut down grey trousers and often they had this brown paper bag with just a piece of bread in it, God help them." The Donaghmore Historical Society has also been working closely with another historical group in they have traced a number of girls who were sent from Dungannon Workhouse to were sent as part of the Earl Grey the scheme between 1848 and 1850, more than 4,000 young Irish female orphans left workhouses and were transported to Australia. The Earl Grey Scheme Earl Grey was secretary of state for the colonies and the aim of the scheme was to reduce overcrowding in workhouses and provide labour for Australia while reducing a big gender imbalance the 4,114 Irish Famine orphan girls sent to Australia, 94 were from County Tyrone and 21 of those girls came from Dungannon O'Neill lives in Melbourne and is part of the Famine Orphan Girls Commemoration Committee."The girls from Dungannon left in January during an Irish winter, spent three months on a boat and they would have arrived during an Australian summer, so it must have felt so alien to them," she said."It was a new colony so it would have been quite the frontier, many were treated with shame, but they were also very resilient and ended up raising large families and prospering."A tribute was paid to the girls during the recent memorial service on the site of the former Dungannon a traditional Irish ballad was played, the names of the young women were read out included the name of Eliza Addy. 'I'm humbly proud' Eliza Addy was born in 1834 in Dungannon and had worked as a domestic servant before entering the workhouse. When she was 16 years old she was chosen for the Earl Grey arrived in Melbourne on 10 January 1850 and would go onto work on a farm in 1854 she married and had nine children. She died in the western Victorian town of Stawell in of Eliza Addy regularly attend the annual Irish Famine Orphan Girls Commemoration in Australia. Her great, great, great granddaughter Leanne Seignior still lives in says her family have been very touched by Eliza's inclusion in the Dungannon workhouse added: "It blows my mind to think about how much she went through and survived, from the famine, to the trauma of the workhouse, then the boat trip and to arrive across the world at that age."To find the strength and resilience to keep goingm raise her family and now all these generations later to be remembered in her home country makes me incredibly humbly proud." There has also been ongoing work to uncover more information about other workhouses in mid old building of Magherafelt Workhouse still exists in the form of Mid Ulster O'Brien from the Loup Historical Society was at the memorial event for Dungannon Workhouse. Seamus is asking people to come forward with any information on the workhouse, including relics such as records books."We're particularly interested in trying to find the old bell - it's about documenting this for future generations."A new memorial stone and information board at the main entrance to the former site of Magherafelt Workhouse is due to be unveiled at a launch event on 31 July.
BreakingNews.ie
2 days ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Bank of Ireland apologises after oil spill at Dublin park
Bank of Ireland has apologised after a 'really heavy' oil spill at a park in south Dublin. A family of swans were removed from the park by an animal charity which described the oil pollution incident as one of the worst it has attended. Advertisement Kildare Wildlife Rescue (KWR) said it removed four cygnets and two adult swans from Kilbogget Park near Cabinteely in south Dublin on Wednesday. KWR's rescue co-ordinator Pearse Stokes said the charity had attended a 'really heavy' oil spill at what he described as a 'jewel in the crown' for south Dublin biodiversity. 'I have been a wildlife first responder for 12 years and it is the worst fumes I have encountered on an oil spill, and we get a lot of them, but this was really heavy,' Mr Stokes said. Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council said booms and pads have been installed to absorb the pollution. Advertisement 'Swans were removed with the help of local (council) staff, Kildare Wildlife Rescue and volunteers and are currently in the care of Kildare Wildlife Rescue,' it added. It said council staff would visit the park over the weekend to monitor the situation and encouraged people walking their dogs in the park to keep them on leads. A spokesman for Bank of Ireland said: 'We have been engaged with Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council (DLRCOCO) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in relation to a spillage at one of our sites in Cabinteely. 'Action was immediately taken to contain the incident, and no further pollution has been identified. Advertisement 'We would like to sincerely apologise to the local community for the impact caused. We will continue to engage fully with DLRCOCO and the EPA over the coming period.' Local councillor Dave O'Keeffe said the clean-up is estimated to cost tens of thousands of euros and the council should not foot the bill. 'An apology is fine but this is going to cost tens of thousands, if not more, to rectify,' he told PA. 'There is environmental damage done, there has already been a lot of money spent on the actual clean up. Advertisement 'Kilbogget was turning into a great place for biodiversity. We had wild otters there, which is really rare, there was a lot of diversity of species and that's all been put in jeopardy now. 'There's a financial cost to this, but there's an awful lot more that needs to be done to make sure it gets back to there in the long term. 'I don't expect the council or the local people to foot that bill.' He said he would not walk a dog in the park this weekend and monitor the progress of the clean up after that. Advertisement 'Even yesterday the smell of diesel was still quite strong,' he said. 'It was still in a pretty bad condition yesterday and speaking to some of the guys from Kildare Wildlife, they weren't sure when or if the swans could ever be brought back.' The incident is the second oil spill Kildare Wildlife Rescue has responded to in the past few days. It removed another family of swans after an oil spill at ponds in a park in Kilminchy in Portlaoise, Co Laois last weekend. Mr Stokes said the heat made conditions for rescuing wildlife particularly complex. 'Rescuing wildlife is very difficult. Rescuing oiled wildlife is additionally difficult because you need to wear PPE, like facemasks and gowns, to protect yourself from the contaminates,' Mr Stokes told RTÉ Radio. Ireland More than 900 speeding fines revoked following 'hu... Read More 'Working in the high heat that we had last weekend… also comes the added complication where the oil and the water is evaporating and becoming quite toxic fumes for people, so it is a public safety concern as well as a concern for the first responders and the wildlife.' He said swans cannot be released until the spills are cleared up, and if they are released at another location they will fly back to their original home and risk being exposed to oil again. He said there were risks in keeping them at the centre and near humans for too long, as they can become stressed.
