Progress welcomed on workhouse memorial plans

MOVES to provide a memorial for Omagh Workhouse are ‘progressing’ with Fermanagh and Omagh District Council councillors agreeing it is important to affirm the worth and dignity of the people who lived and died there.

At last month’s meeting, they agreed to write to the Minister for Health, Robin Swann, calling on his Department to expedite a land transaction with the Western Health and Social Care Trust to enable siting of an appropriate memorial for the Omagh Workhouse.

In response, Mr Swann confirmed that the proposed location of a memorial was sited on Departmental land, which is leased.

The Minister added his officials were currently engaged in commercial lease negotiations with the incumbent lessee.

“Once these negotiations conclude, discussions can be taken forward with the council on this matter,” Mr Swann said.

Cllr Barry McElduff, who first raised the issue around a memorial, said, “It’s good to see progress. We’re progressing slowly, but we are progressing.

“The idea that there is going to be a memorial garden as part of the Omagh Workhouse Project is very, very important.

“It has the buy-in of community groups in Omagh and is regularly discussed at the Apex Radius Advisory Group meetings, who, as well as Arbour Housing Association, have pledged their interest.

“What that really means is they would be prepared to help fund a memorial, be it a garden or space. So we need this to progress.”

Urging council officials to get matters moving ‘as quickly as possible’, Mr McElduff said, “We need to find out from the Department of Health who is the person progressing this, and who is the person in the Western Trust doing the same.”

Agreeing with this, Cllr Josephine Deehan described the tone of the Minister’s letter as “quite positive”.

She continued, “I strongly believe there should be a memorial of some form, a place of peace and rest, to affirm the worth and dignity of the people who lived in Omagh Workhouse, and many whom sadly died there.

“That is important for us to acknowledge their worth, and make it known in the community that we remember those people.”

Cllr Deehan spoke of previous positivity in such matters, adding, “I believe there will be goodwill on the part of the Western Trust, because we had a similar set of circumstances during the constriction of Omagh Hospital and Primary Care Complex, which opened in 2017 on the site of the Tyrone and Fermanagh Hospital.

“In close proximity to the site was a graveyard in which were interred the remains of many long-term in-patients who died there, and very sadly were buried in the hospital grounds in unmarked graves.

“The Western Trust was very sympathetic to protecting and recognising that space.

“I’m happy that attitudes have changed toward people who have long-term mental health difficulties, and that we as a council support those who struggle with such issues in their lives.

“It is right and proper we do the same for those who lived and died in Omagh Workhouse.”

All members were in agreement.

Omagh workhouse, built in August 1841, was originally designed to hold 800 inmates, but due to the famine, additions were made to hold 1,000. And, in the end, the workhouse was forced to fit 1,100 people due to high demand. It was closed in the 1930s, and subsequently demolished in the mid 1960s. However, the infirmary and fever ward would be transformed into the Omagh General Hospital, and would operate until November 1999.

Two major archaeological digs at the site occurred between 1998 and 2009 revealed up to 79 bodies that were removed, and a further 12 bodies left in the grounds, but it is believed that there are many more left untouched on the site.

In June of last year members of the Omagh heritage Forum petitioned to the council to formally recognise the site, which they believed had up to 2,000 unmarked pauper graves accumulated from the workhouse’s legacy.

Speaking at the time, Omagh Heritage Forum chair, Vincent Brogan, said, “We believe it is important that the community have the opportunity to mark this site, which was so significant in times past, and we call on the council to work with us to erect a fitting memorial.”