The Derry Workhouse

By Chelsie Rowland

Hannah McGrotty

Aaron Pyne

About the Workhouse

It opened in Glendermott Road in Waterside on 10th November 1840.It was built to hold 800 peoplePeople who were destitute were forced to go into the workhouse.

Life in the Workhouse

Families were separated into different places

Men, women, boys, girls all lived ate and slept in different spots

4 dormitories held 200 people in each

More About Life in the Workhouse

People were fed porridge and buttermilk

Children who misbehaved were locked in darkened rooms and got no food.

Up to 40 people died each month

The workhouse had its own hearse into which one or more bodies were placed for transport to a burial place.

Where is the Workhouse Now?

The workhouse closed in 1948It operated as a hospital until 1991The workhouse is now a museum since 1997. It occupies 2 floors of the old workhouse building.