It was a town in itself says coauthor of history of st lomans

A new book chronicling the long history of St Loman’s Hospital is being launched on Thursday November 6 at the Annebrook Hotel.

The publication of A History of St Loman’s in Changing Times, is the culmination of over a year and a half of hard work by six former and current members of staff at the hospital (Joe Maleady, Odran and Frank Hynes, Breffni O’Reilly Irwin, Anne Masterson and Margaret O’Neill).

Speaking to the Westmeath Examiner, Joe said that working on the book was a labour of love for the sextet, who between them have accumulated almost 200 years of service in the hospital.

Joe, himself, worked in St Loman’s for 44 years before his retirement in 2011.
Designed by architect John Skipton Mulvany, who also designed Mullingar Railway Station, St Loman’s welcomed its first patient in 1855. At its busiest, Loman’s housed as many as 1200 patients and had a staff of almost 500. It was not only the biggest employer in the area for decades, “it was a town in itself”, says Joe.

“It was almost totally self sufficient. At one stage it had 424 acres of land. They reared cattle, sheep and pigs, which were killed in their own huge abattoir. The hospital also had its own shoemaker and tailor.

“At one stage there were 150 patients working on the farm. It was considered occupational therapy. Then views changed and it was seen as nearly exploitation but patients got to go up there and they had a focus in their day.”
For decades the St Loman’s staff helped keep the local economy afloat, Joe added.

“St Loman’s was a huge employer. When you look at all the Longford and Meath people that worked there. Many met girls from Mullingar and settled in the town and bought houses. The staff helped sustain the town of Mullingar. They were good socialising people and when money got plentiful, they left theirs in Mullingar, which was a huge plus for the economy.”

The new book, which features a collection of photos going back to the 19th century, is broken into sections focusing on the different aspects of the history of the mental health facility. Joe says the group’s efforts were made easier by the meticulous record keeping of their predecessors.

“We were excited like children with toys going into see those records. We would have heard about things and then to see them in writing was special. It was hard enough choosing what information to include.
“You could write three or four different books on St Loman’s.”

The launch of A History of St Loman’s in Changing Times is in the Annebrook House Hotel at 8pm on November 6.