Seminar on history of major Delvin events

The North Westmeath Historical Society has announced a special two-part seminar this Saturday, September 20, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of two significant events in the history of Delvin: the abolition of Delvin Rural District Council (1899–1925) and the closure of Delvin Workhouse (1854–1925).

The seminar, at St Patrick’s Hall, will feature two expert talks. At 3pm, local historian Bill Ryan will deliver a presentation on the history and legacy of Delvin Rural District Council. Later, at 8pm, Ruth Illingworth will explore the story of Delvin Workhouse, its role in the community, and its eventual closure a century ago.

Admission to both talks is free, and attendees are invited to enjoy complimentary tea and coffee after each presentation. The society encourages all those interested in local history to attend for an insight into these important chapters of Delvin’s past.

Rural District Council

Bill Ryan’s talk will focus on the most democratic of assemblies ever established in Ireland – the Rural District Councils. Under the Local Government Act of 1898, the old Grand Jury system of local government was replaced by the democratically elected county councils and their rural counterparts the district councils.

Westmeath had six rural district councils including Delvin and it is that one that Bill Ryan will discuss.

Delvin Rural District Council was the local assembly to deal with local issues in what was once the Delvin Poor Law district, and the new rural councillors also acted as the board of guardians for Delvin Workhouse and the Dispensary Districts within the region.

The members of the district council, who met in the boardroom of the workhouse fortnightly, would then hold a second meeting as the guardians to discuss medical and sanitary matters relating to the population of the district.

One of the most remarkable features of the district councils was the fact that each district electoral division elected two members to sit on the council. Those councillors were elected only by the people who lived in the division, which was composed of several townlands. There were 19 District Electoral Divisions in Delvin Council and thus 38 members were elected every three years.

At the time, there was only one political party, the Irish Parliamentary Party, led by John Redmond, and that meant that political rivalry was, to a large degree, absent from council proceedings.

The number of councillors who attended meetings declined as the War of Independence intensified and the eruption of the Civil War in June 1922 also had a detrimental effect on attendance at council meetings.

Sinn Féin became the dominant nationalist party following the 1918 general election and they were determined to do away with the Poor Law Unions and the workhouse, even though most workhouses were by then almost empty and were more hospital and old age homes than workhouses.

The last election for rural district councils was held in 1920, and after it most of the councils held a Sinn Féin majority and gave their allegiance to Dáil Éireann rather than Westminster.

In fact the only department within the Sinn Féin government that actually did govern was the Local Government Department, because both county and rural district councillors recognised its authority.

Following the Civil War, the new Free State Government of Cumann na nGaedheal led by WT Cosgrave decided the rural district councils were unnecessary and in 1925 they were formally abolished, thus bringing to an end Delvin Rural District Council.

Delvin workhouse

In August 1850 Delvin Poor Law Union was created and within three years, in November 1853, Delvin Workhouse opened its doors for the first inmates to occupy the building.

While the regime within the workhouse was spartan, it provided a level of relief to those living in extreme poverty and over time became a minor hospital as well as an old people’s home and also housed the mentally ill.

Designed to house up to 400 inmates, Delvin Workhouse was never more than half full and once outdoor relief became available to those living in poverty, the number of residents in the workhouse gradually declined until it only housed the sick and the elderly.

In Ireland, the workhouse was regarded by many as a place of oppression and humiliation and represented all that was wrong with British rule. Calls for the abolition of the Poor Law system of social welfare increased following the War of Independence and Sinn Féin, the most popular Nationalist Party in Ireland, vowed to do away with it as soon as Ireland became an independent nation.

Following the creation of the Irish Free State in 1922, many of the workhouses scattered around the country were closed while some were retained as County Homes and hospitals. During 1922, the inmates of Delvin Workhouse were transferred to Mullingar Workhouse, then renamed as Mullingar County Home.

During the Civil War, the workhouse in Delvin was used as a barracks by the Civic Guards and was twice attacked by anti-treaty forces who attempted to burn the building down.

• North Westmeath Historical Society wish to thank the Department of Culture Sport and Communications, who grant aided this project.

• Admission to both talks is free and there will be tea/coffee served following the talks.