Tuesday 22 April 2014

All about Irish workhouses – weekend conference, May

A two-day conference – The Irish Workhouse – Past & Present – will take place on the weekend of 17 and18 May in Portumna, Co. Galway.

Keynote speaker is Peter Higginbotham, whose depth of knowledge about workhouses in both the UK and Ireland can be seen on his incredibly detailed website: www.workhouses.org.uk. He will be delivering two lectures, the first on workhouses in Ireland, the second on poorhouses in Scotland.

Both days of the conference close with a guided tour of the Irish Workhouse Centre (IWC), the former Portumna Workhouse, where the event is being held. The IWC has organised the event in partnership wtih the Heritage Office of Galway County Council.

Attendance fees, which include lunch and refreshments, are €60 for the two days, or €35 for one day (space permitting).

You can download the conference brochure (pdf) here for full details of the lectures, programme and booking information.