Pure tourism, and our third and final stop on a two day trip to the west coast of Ireland last year, with the explores just as something to do on the journeys there and back.
Now I don’t know much about asylums and can’t witter on about asylum X being better than Y since the only other one I’ve seen is St. Ita’s in Portrane, also in Eire, and only a small chunk of that one.
However previous reports, listed below, suggested that St Brigid’s was good value, and so it proved.
cgrizzy https://www.28dayslater.co.uk/threads/connacht-district-asylum-ireland-may-2018.116275/#post-122846
Olkka https://www.28dayslater.co.uk/threads/some-of-connaught-st-brigids-asylums-finer-details.113408/ june2018
Speed https://www.28dayslater.co.uk/threads/irish-asylum-roundup-sept-2017.110040/#post-1183503
Brewtal https://www.28dayslater.co.uk/threads/st-brigids-hospital-co-galway-june-2017.113948/
True_British_Metal https://www.28dayslater.co.uk/threads/st-brigids-asylum-ballinasloe-ireland-november-2016.106292/
Camera Shy, Cloth Head, Sammydoublewhammy https://www.28dayslater.co.uk/threa...asylum-ireland-july-2016.104601/#post-1149092
https://www.28dayslater.co.uk/threads/ireland-july-2016.109131/#post-1178205
https://www.28dayslater.co.uk/threa...c-asylum-r-o-i-july-2016.104529/#post-1148542
See the reports or google for more history, but briefly, built in 1833 to an X-shaped plan and closed as late as 2013, although some of the smaller buildings at the rear are still in use.
One shouldn’t forget just how ghastly these asylums actually were for the patients, many of whom were not clinically helpable, just difficult long term inmates of workhouses and prisons or even unwanted relatives.
https://www.historyireland.com/18th...unatic-asylum-in-the-late-nineteenth-century/.
In the west of Ireland ‘Ballinasloe’ is still apparently a euphemism for a grim mental hospital in much the same way as ‘Dundrum’ is in Dublin (behave yerself or you’ll be sent to Dundrum…)
Of the place itself, the best aspects were undoubtedly the gorgeous colours and decay.
Comparing what we saw with previous efforts the main change is that some of the rooms near the central portion have got a bit more vandalised, and we didn’t see many beds.
But we weren’t being particularly systematic so may just have missed the bed section. Other than that, the pictures here are pretty much just variations of things already reported.
We covered most of the main block up to the dinky clock tower - there wasn’t much in the basement except for records and a few collections of medical leftovers, so no pics from there.
Visited with junior; after an initial recce the previous evening, access proved straightforward and we spent a happy afternoon wandering around without seeing anyone.
As usual pictures were taken fast, everything auto. An external off the web since I forgot to get one.
I was wondering about the curved corners and window reveals in some areas but I guess the place has been modified over the years - there is at least one fireplace in a corridor.
Now I don’t know much about asylums and can’t witter on about asylum X being better than Y since the only other one I’ve seen is St. Ita’s in Portrane, also in Eire, and only a small chunk of that one.
However previous reports, listed below, suggested that St Brigid’s was good value, and so it proved.
cgrizzy https://www.28dayslater.co.uk/threads/connacht-district-asylum-ireland-may-2018.116275/#post-122846
Olkka https://www.28dayslater.co.uk/threads/some-of-connaught-st-brigids-asylums-finer-details.113408/ june2018
Speed https://www.28dayslater.co.uk/threads/irish-asylum-roundup-sept-2017.110040/#post-1183503
Brewtal https://www.28dayslater.co.uk/threads/st-brigids-hospital-co-galway-june-2017.113948/
True_British_Metal https://www.28dayslater.co.uk/threads/st-brigids-asylum-ballinasloe-ireland-november-2016.106292/
Camera Shy, Cloth Head, Sammydoublewhammy https://www.28dayslater.co.uk/threa...asylum-ireland-july-2016.104601/#post-1149092
https://www.28dayslater.co.uk/threads/ireland-july-2016.109131/#post-1178205
https://www.28dayslater.co.uk/threa...c-asylum-r-o-i-july-2016.104529/#post-1148542
See the reports or google for more history, but briefly, built in 1833 to an X-shaped plan and closed as late as 2013, although some of the smaller buildings at the rear are still in use.
One shouldn’t forget just how ghastly these asylums actually were for the patients, many of whom were not clinically helpable, just difficult long term inmates of workhouses and prisons or even unwanted relatives.
https://www.historyireland.com/18th...unatic-asylum-in-the-late-nineteenth-century/.
In the west of Ireland ‘Ballinasloe’ is still apparently a euphemism for a grim mental hospital in much the same way as ‘Dundrum’ is in Dublin (behave yerself or you’ll be sent to Dundrum…)
Of the place itself, the best aspects were undoubtedly the gorgeous colours and decay.
Comparing what we saw with previous efforts the main change is that some of the rooms near the central portion have got a bit more vandalised, and we didn’t see many beds.
But we weren’t being particularly systematic so may just have missed the bed section. Other than that, the pictures here are pretty much just variations of things already reported.
We covered most of the main block up to the dinky clock tower - there wasn’t much in the basement except for records and a few collections of medical leftovers, so no pics from there.
Visited with junior; after an initial recce the previous evening, access proved straightforward and we spent a happy afternoon wandering around without seeing anyone.
As usual pictures were taken fast, everything auto. An external off the web since I forgot to get one.
I was wondering about the curved corners and window reveals in some areas but I guess the place has been modified over the years - there is at least one fireplace in a corridor.