Concert in Portumna Workshouse Centre

On Sunday, June 22, a sold out Cherish the Ladies concert will launch a long-awaited campaign to raise funds for the former “food hall” and “chapel” that will further develop the workhouse in Portumna and benefit the wider community.

The concert is hosted by the Portumna Workhouse Centre board and planning committee at the Workhouse Centre in Portumna. The event takes will take place from 6pm to 8.30pm.

Ireland once had a country-wide network of 163 workhouses designed to alleviate poverty and destitution. Built in the 1840s, they predated the Great Hunger and were finally closed in the 1920s. Today hardly any trace of these vast buildings, their history, or the souls who lived in them exist on the Irish landscape.

The Irish Workhouse Centre (IWC) in Portumna, County Galway is a notable exception. Thanks to the dedication of the local community, it has been partially restored and is dedicated to preserving this crucial part of Irish history.

OUR MISSION

Our mission is to tell the poignant story of the poor who lived and worked in these workhouse institutions, including the Irish Workhouse Centre, Portumna; the story of Irish emigration and the hardships endured by these people in the wake of the Great Famine. This is an often-overlooked part of our shared heritage.

The former food hall/chapel area will be renovated for use as a space to hire for events such as community concerts, art exhibitions, lectures and special events. With renovation of the associated kitchen and ancillary rooms, the building will be available as a bespoke conference space with three meeting rooms and a modern dining facility. A facility of this size and proportion is not available to the public in South East Galway at present.

The Irish Workhouse Centre is operated by a not-for-profit registered charity (South East Galway Integrated Rural Development (SEGIRD) and is overseen by a voluntary board.