About

Welcome to the Magherafelt Workhouse project which aims to tell the story of life in the workhouse in the nineteenth and twentieth century. Divided into over 40 sections, the website contains information on the establishment and building of the workhouse in the 1840s; the impact of the Great Famine on the building; post Famine changes and how the workhouse was used by people and much more.

Within the walls of the workhouse system, one-fifth of all Famine deaths occurred in there, and Magherafelt was no different. Built to accommodate 900 people, in 1847 alone, ‘Black 47’, scores of people died in the workhouse as cholera and typhus ravaged the building. With the grounds of the workhouse three cemeteries were in use during its history, a reminder that hundreds of people lie in unmarked graves there.

While the history of Irish workhouses is a reminder of the pain and suffering of many who were forced to enter them, often as a last resort, they also act as a reminder that thousands were given refuge and sanctuary within their walls. Developed by The Loup and District Historical Society, the website we hope will act as an educational tool ensuring that present and future generations fully understand the plight of our ancestors.