Request from Tipperary Town Heritage Group
“We are members of the Tipperary Town Heritage Group, a recently registered Charity. We have a verbal agreement with the Tipperary County Council (current owners of the Workhouse) for the lease and ownership of the Famine Workhouse in Tipperary town (pending our completion of a business plan which we are close to completing). We will be offered the lease and future ownership of the building for 99 years.
The chapel dating to 1871 was restored in the early 2000’s and the stained glass is still in place. This section of the building is complete and ready for exhibitions , displays, concerts etc. with just some basic clean up required.
The main building is the children’s wing of the Famine workhouse and requires major restoration work. This is a particularly poignant section of the workhouse for the people of Tipperary as many of the orphans lost their sight from ophthalmia related to lack of hygiene, poor conditions and starvation.
The adult wing and the fever hospital sections of the Workhouse have been lost to industry and are currently being used as factories. We cannot lose the children’s wing.. We want to create a Famine museum and visitor centre in this wing to commemorate and remember those lost to the great hunger.
Though the Council have agreed to transfer ownership to us, we are still in need of funding in order to restore the building. Initially we would need emergency funding to connect electricity, water and provide toilet facilities etc.
We are struggling to secure funding for the project here in Ireland and EU funding appears to favour projects in Dublin.
We need help. Any help you can provide, any sponsors you can connect us with or any advice you can give would be greatly appreciated.
Many of the children from the Tipperary town Workhouse were sold into indentured servitude in America, Canada and Australia..
We are hoping to reach out to everyone who has a connection with Tipperary and Ireland whose ancestors were either forced to leave Ireland for a new life because of the Famine or who were sold to rich families for labour or marriage.
We are passionate about preserving the children’s wing of the Tipperary Town Famine Workhouse as it is the only section of the workhouse that is left (The remainder of the workhouse buildings are now in the ownership of a furniture factory).. The horror our ancestors went through needs to be remembered and retold to future generations.
Any help, any connections to patrons or sponsors who would allow us to move forward with our project would be greatly appreciated.”
Thanking you in anticipation
John O’Connor (PRO Tipperary Town Heritage Group CLG)
ph: +353 83 8989265
Stephanie Staunton (Secretary Tipperary Town Heritage Group CLG)
ph +353 85 8889689”
Note: there are a considerable number of Earl Grey Orphans from County Tipperary; not all of them would have been housed in the Workhouse in the town of Tipperary. According to Dr Trevor McClaughlin’s “Barefoot and Pregnant?”, eighty-seven (87) orphans originated from Tipperary.
If you have a connection with Tipperary Town, or even County Tipperary, you may wish to consider supporting the endeavours of the Tipperary Town Heritage group.
Trish Power, Chair, requested “How to donate” information but has not received any to date; you will need to contact John or Stephanie directly. Their email address is: tipperarytownheritagegroup@gmail.com
Trish Power
