The House of Industry was established as a consequence of the 1772 Act passed in the Irish House of Commons to establish Poor Houses and Work Houses in every county in Ireland. In 1773, the county and city Grand Juries of Limerick presented £500 for the erection of a workhouse in the city and the Protestant Bishop Gore granted the land for the building on the North Strand.
The Inmates of the House of Industry consisted of the aged poor, the destitute, the sick and deserted women and children. Life with the House was rigidly controlled. At nightfall a bell was rung, when all the inmates had to retire to their respective wards, and were locked up until morning. In the morning all of the able-bodied had to work at occupations such as weaving, spinning, opening up hair for upholsters and oakum for ship chandlers. A third of the profit from these labours were given to workers, a quarter to the house steward, and the remainder to the funds of the institution.
Breakfast for the inmates generally consisted of bread and milk, and dinner consisted of potatoes and sour milk. Misconduct was punished by confinement and deprivation of food. The Sisters of Mercy made visits to the House in order to care for the sick.
The House of Industry closed down in May 1841, and all inmates were transferred to the new Limerick Union Workhouse on Shelbourne Road. The House of Industry building later became known as the Strand Barracks and was used by Limerick Corporation as its main depot and stores.
Archival History ↴
The General Registry of Inmates of the House of Industry was donated by Lord Limerick to the Mayor of Limerick in 1989.
Immediate Source Acquisition ↴
Donation
Content & Structure
Scope & Content: House of Industry, Limerick ↴
General Registry of Inmates (1774-1793) which lists the age, sex, and condition of every inmate in the workhouse including their reasons for leaving the House.
The volume has been indexed alphabetically and chronologically by Anne Fitzgerald, courtesy of the Limerick Civic Trust (May 1990).
Descriptive Control Area
Archivist Note
Limerick City Archives Archivist
Rules/Conventions
ISAD(G): General International Standard Archival Description. 2nd ed. Ottawa: International Council on Archives, 2000.
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
Cookie
Duration
Description
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional
11 months
The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy
11 months
The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.