Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-ttngx Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-05-01T21:54:58.150Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The lunatic asylums of Ireland 1825-1839

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 June 2014

Dermot Walsh
Dermot Walsh*
Affiliation:
Health Research Board, 42-47 Lower Mount Street, Dublin 2, Ireland
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Objectives: By the early 19th century the social manifestations of psychiatric disorder had become a matter of public and parliamentary pre-occupation in Ireland. This concern led to legislative provision for the establishment of a national system of district lunatic asylums. This paper describes some details of the early foundation of this system.

Method: Examination of House of Commons papers on the lunatic asylums of Ireland 1835-1839.

Results: Details are presented concerning the activities, numbers of residents, admissions and costs of the 11 asylums in operation by 1839.

Conclusions: By 1839 the operational, administrative and cultural characteristics of a national asylum system that would take another half century to complete and would extend well into the 20th century had been established.

Keywords

Lunatic asylumsIreland1825-1839
Type
Historical
Information
Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine , Volume 25 , Issue 4 , December 2008 , pp. 151 - 156
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2008

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1.Finnane, M. Insanity and the Insane in Post-Famine Ireland. Croom Helm: London, 1981.Google Scholar
2.Robins, J.Fools and Mad. A History of the Insane in Ireland. Institute of Public Administration: Dublin, 1986.Google Scholar
3.Reynolds, J.. Grangegorman Psychiatric Care in Dublin since 1815. Institute of Public Administration: Dublin, 1992.Google Scholar
4.House of Commons Papers. Lunatic Asylums (Ireland) Session 1836. (69). XLVII, 587, Lunatic Asylums (Ireland). Session 1837/?8 (330). XLVI, 409. District Lunatic Asylums (Ireland) Session 1839 (391). XLIV, 53.Google Scholar
5.Walsh, O. Lunatic and criminal alliances in 19th century Ireland. In: Bartlett, P, Wright, D. Eds. Outside the Walls of the asylum. The history of care in the community 1750-2000. The Athlone Press: London and New Brunswich, NJ, 1999.Google Scholar
6.Prior, PM. Prisoner or patient? The official debate on the criminal lunatic in 19th century Ireland. History of Psychiatry 2004; 15(2): 177–192CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
7.Walsh, D.Lunacy in Ireland 1901 The vindication of a policy. Ir J Psychol Med 2007; 24(4): 149–156.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
8.Daly, A, Walsh, D, Moran, R. HRB Statistics Series 4. Activities of Irish Psychiatric Units and Hospitals 2006. Health Research Board: Dublin, 2007.Google Scholar