The Linear Corridor Plan
My Part 1 report visible HERE introduces my roadtrip last summer with @KismetJ and covers the first widespread wave of Irish asylum design; the prison-like radial corridor plan of the 1830s. Now we move onto the 1850s-60s.
The 1845 Lunatic Asylum (Ireland) Act was passed, and following this, a new wave of larger asylums began to be built in the 1850s as legislation progressed to provide even more provision for the mentally ill. This second general wave of asylum development took the form of the linear corridor plan of the mid-late 19th century, which will be the focus for this report. This trend followed that of England asylums, probably mirroring the Lunacy Act of 1845 passed in England. Wards were placed in a line and generally connected by a long corridor running the length of the building. The corridor formed part of the wards, similar to the radial-plan corridor asylums, but without the panopticon principles. It was a step towards a more modern approach of linking the asylum together in a more efficient manner and with a greater emphasis on patient wellbeing and trust, giving them views towards the countryside rather than of more wards, yet still defined by rows of cells onto corridors with few dayrooms.
The aesthetics externally are very similar across all the 1850s asylums, being stone-faced and Gothic in appearance with an air of old boarding school. A little less confined than the radial asylums, yet still strictly institutional.
Our Lady’s Hospital, Cork - Eglinton Lunatic Asylum (named after the Earl of Eglinton)
Opened 1852. Closed 1992. Largely converted into residential housing, although the east wing is derelict and heavily decayed. Typical Gothic corridor design, although the main building’s east and west wings were originally detached from the central building by short corridors; perhaps an early nudge towards the pavilion plan. The St. Kevins annexe to the east was opened in 1899, but was subject to a fire in 2017, and the shell of the building is now undergoing conversion with the very long connecting corridor between the two hospitals demolished.
Visited with @Bugsuperstar, being pretty local to him and as such we had a tour guide to make the visit a bit more interesting to learn how it had changed over the years. What's left derelict is now pretty fooked, with very little left to give much idea of the structure and it's layout. Still, it's a nice decayed mooch for something a bit more ruinous and overgrown. The highlight was the chapel which is equally bare but has some nice windows and ivy growing.
Admin and the residential conversion
The derelict eastern section
A rather cool barred 'spiral' staircase
Rear of the building
Facing towards a partially worked on chapel
Inside the other derelict large chapel
Right photograph looks where the corridor would have run towards the St. Kevin's annexe, shown as a brick shell undergoing conversion.
St. Canice’s Hospital - Kilkenny District Lunatic Asylum
Opened September 1852. Closed 2006 although continued use as health service offices and did not seem in any obvious way disused or is simply well-kept. One of the smaller asylums in size, but very quaint in its surroundings said to retain their original countryside character.
Did the usual drive round and grabbed some externals but didn't get a closer look except for peering through the front door. Another one without any images or idea of what it's like inside I can find, makes you wonder what could remain (or doesn't).
Aerial by @KismetJ
Looking in the main entrance
St. Finan’s Hospital - Killarney District Lunatic Asylum
Opened December 1852. Closed 2012. Now fully disused but secured somewhat well with the grounds being well-kept.
It is on a very dramatic hillside position with great views and a sense of elevation and escape. The building is relatively secure, surrounded by a pallisade fence and numerous cameras covering most corners. Walking around the back, I passed several cameras to reach the middle of the exterior but there wasn't any sign of response. It did appear that beyond the pallisade there was an opening in the building, but it was difficult to say. On the other side of the building’s rear was a probably security car, and other than that I don't have much more to say other than it's not been documented much but I bet it's well preserved. It doesn't seem like it was modernised hardly at all even in its later use, still carrying on in the fashion it had a century before prior to its closure.
Tyrone and Fermanagh Hospital - Omagh District Lunatic Asylum
Opened 1853, extensions in 1860s. Closed to patients after decline in 2017, with parts near admin still used as offices still and the rest disused.
Had a decent walk round the perimeter but sadly couldn't find a way in. One end is being worked on, or at least was, but didn’t seem to provide any ways in either. Was a shame as this one could've been a fairly easy win, and seemed like it had been for some time, but we may have been unlucky with timing or needed to dig deeper more than time permitted. A very imposing Gothic building externally with its tall admin block, maybe one of the larger and most imposing of the corridor asylums up there with St. Lomans.
Drone shot by @KismetJ
The imposing facade
Concrete water tower
Chapel
such historical details always seem dull at first but the more you know, the more you get out of these places I find. They start to make sense more. I did think I was gonna have a nice puncture in my forearm before rolling down the sleeve, it went very numb lol.
