This is a reasonably large site (43 acres) with numerous buildings (27 residential, a school building, outbuildings and Woburn House). Woburn House was once a private summer mansion to John Gilmore Dunbar, a wealthy Belfast mill owner. The 1800 Italianate, B2 listed property, remained in the family until it was sold by Arthur Pack-Beresford to the ministry of finance. As per any abandoned building there's the usual paranormal b
that it's hunted; the story being something about a butler murdering a servant girl and throwing her in the Irish sea after dragging her body through a now sealed underground tunnel
. The site was most recently used as a prison officer training college complete with a dog section and gymnasium. In 2013 NIPS announced that it would close the site as a training facility in 2016 due to financial pressures.
In the 1950s a borstal/ juvenile centre was established which ran until 1976. It then became a training school until its closure in 2003. There have been allegations of sectarian abuse from staff and other residents with fights being described as a daily occourance between Protestants and Catholics (who would've guessed in Northern Ireland
). The building held up to 55 'violent and disturbed boys' between the ages of 10 and 17 at a time. An independent inspection by Queen's University Belfast came to the conclusion that the children that stayed there 'came in as criminals with low self-esteem and went out as criminals with high self-esteem'. It also had a very impressive re-offending rate of 89%! The workers at Lisnevin however tried to defend the institution and its residents by stating '1/3 of inmates had been physically or sexually abused while many more were severely disturbed'. It would be interesting to find out how many familiar infamous faces had passed through its doors.
I visited the old borstal building in March but gave the other buildings a miss as I've heard reports of dog patrols and alarms. I do plan a return visit some day to tackle the rest of the buildings.
Must have had a lot of time to reflect behind bars...
Main gate to borstal facing outside
Main gate facing inside
Personal alarms for guards?
what appears to be a bullet hole above the sign
I assume they used this place for tactical/ hostage situation training after it shut
Dental practice inside
Shotgun holes on door?
Stalactites had started to form from roof
Inside the laundry
Inside the laundry
Not honestly sure why the police tape was there probably from training
Roll, roll, roll a joint...
Can only imagine the amount of foul play..
Workshop
Workshop
Workshop
Workshop
Green cell wing
Think i'd feel uncomfortable having batman watch me sleep
If Micky is a mouse, Pluto is a dog, Donald is a duck, then what tf is Goofy?
Blue cell wing
Holes left from tactical training?
Holes left from tactical training?
Thanks for looking!
Amy
that it's hunted; the story being something about a butler murdering a servant girl and throwing her in the Irish sea after dragging her body through a now sealed underground tunnel. The site was most recently used as a prison officer training college complete with a dog section and gymnasium. In 2013 NIPS announced that it would close the site as a training facility in 2016 due to financial pressures. In the 1950s a borstal/ juvenile centre was established which ran until 1976. It then became a training school until its closure in 2003. There have been allegations of sectarian abuse from staff and other residents with fights being described as a daily occourance between Protestants and Catholics (who would've guessed in Northern Ireland
). The building held up to 55 'violent and disturbed boys' between the ages of 10 and 17 at a time. An independent inspection by Queen's University Belfast came to the conclusion that the children that stayed there 'came in as criminals with low self-esteem and went out as criminals with high self-esteem'. It also had a very impressive re-offending rate of 89%! The workers at Lisnevin however tried to defend the institution and its residents by stating '1/3 of inmates had been physically or sexually abused while many more were severely disturbed'. It would be interesting to find out how many familiar infamous faces had passed through its doors.I visited the old borstal building in March but gave the other buildings a miss as I've heard reports of dog patrols and alarms. I do plan a return visit some day to tackle the rest of the buildings.
Must have had a lot of time to reflect behind bars...
Main gate to borstal facing outside
Main gate facing inside
Personal alarms for guards?
what appears to be a bullet hole above the sign
I assume they used this place for tactical/ hostage situation training after it shut
Dental practice inside
Shotgun holes on door?
Stalactites had started to form from roof
Inside the laundry
Inside the laundry
Not honestly sure why the police tape was there probably from training
Roll, roll, roll a joint...
Can only imagine the amount of foul play..
Workshop
Workshop
Workshop
Workshop
Green cell wing
Think i'd feel uncomfortable having batman watch me sleep
If Micky is a mouse, Pluto is a dog, Donald is a duck, then what tf is Goofy?
Blue cell wing
Holes left from tactical training?
Holes left from tactical training?
Thanks for looking!
Amy
