Navan is a small town north of Dublin. It's normally the sort of place you travel through en route to somewhere else, but this time we stopped to check out the old infirmary, which has been vacant for almost a decade.
While not a pretty building, the ubiquitous Irish grey render gives it a certain grim austerity.
History. The infirmary opened in 1754, at which time “the number of patients was usually greater than the number of beds, and many must have lain on straw pallets on the ground.
Sand and straw for the floors were one of the principal items of expense, as were also wine and porter and leeches for bleeding the patients.”
The building was extended at various times, and finally closed in 2010 by which time it was being used for respite care.
At one stage the registry of births, marriages and deaths was also based there. More background at http://www.navanhistory.ie/index.php?page=county-infirmary.
Visited with junior - internal pictures are ordered from the attic down.
While not a pretty building, the ubiquitous Irish grey render gives it a certain grim austerity.
History. The infirmary opened in 1754, at which time “the number of patients was usually greater than the number of beds, and many must have lain on straw pallets on the ground.
Sand and straw for the floors were one of the principal items of expense, as were also wine and porter and leeches for bleeding the patients.”
The building was extended at various times, and finally closed in 2010 by which time it was being used for respite care.
At one stage the registry of births, marriages and deaths was also based there. More background at http://www.navanhistory.ie/index.php?page=county-infirmary.
Visited with junior - internal pictures are ordered from the attic down.