Workhouse

In 1847 a huge blight affected the potato harvest and millions
of people in Ireland were affected as these people depended on
the potato for food.Three million people then had to depend on
free food to keep them alive. Some people were forced to move
into workhouses which were packed to overflowing. Families
were separated on entering the workhouse. Some chidren didn't
survive the stay in the workhouse which meant that they didn't
see their parents again. Almost 60,000 orphaned or abandoned
children were left in the workhouse when the famine eventually
ended.

The workhouse in Celbridge was much the same as workhouses
around the country. A few years ago Celbridge's workhouse was
turned into a paint storage house.A paint factory was then built in
front of the old workhouse.

Courtesy of The history of
Celbridge-Tony Doohan.

Celbridge Village