Hi there, my first thread so please don't judge too much. Been a huge fan of the site for years, and I've run my own photography page for a while but only now have I found a location worthy of posting.
This asylum I've wanted to get at for years and I was lucky enough to get in.
The Hospital
Construction took place between 1863 to 1866, with an official opening in 1868. Built by James Bell (1829-83) and James Barry Farrell (1810-93). The hospital was built in Italianate style for a sum of £40'000 which was a huge sum at the time.
The building itself is extremely impressive, being a three-story towering asylum with five towers and an overall floor area of 12,077sq m (130,000sq ft).
When it opened, there were only 70 patients but within a short time the numbers had climbed to 280 after patients were moved there from a range of prisons and asylums around the country.
By 1915, the numbers had peaked at 570 patients – as well as 350 staff – because of the arrival of casualties from the trenches in the Great War. The institution had its own church, its own farm, its own graveyard, its own power station, its own tailors, bakers and cobblers.
Towards the end of the 20th century, ways to treat mental illness had changed drastically. No longer were the days of padded cells and straight jackets, as drugs originally developed to combat the effects of malaria had proved effective in dealing with depression. There was soon no need to lock so many up in what had become officially known as 'The Mental Hospital' and later St. Senan's Psychiatric Hospital.
The facility began winding down operations, and moving patients to other facilities around the country. In 2010, there were only beds for just 85 patients, a number that has come tumbling down from twice that a couple of years prior.
Its closed its door to the last patient on April 18th 2013.
Since its closure, in 2017 it was on the market for €780,000 which works out as 6 per square foot.
And in 2018 a consortium of four local businessmen took possession of the building a year ago and in that time, they've been carrying work out on fixing the roof and securing the site ahead of reaching the planning phase to install approximately 60 luxury apartments in the protected building.
Work has been slow at the site due to the massive scale of the project. There was another major setback in their ongoing remedial works at the iconic building, after thieves broke in, scaled one of the towers and stripped it of copper and lead, causing an estimated €100,000 worth of damage in the process.
The Exploration.
At the site there were 28 CCTV cameras, and I had tried twice in the past to gain access but both times I was caught by private security. Both times I had friends with me but the third time I decided to go alone to see if that would make it easier to get in. When I got to the location, there were builders on site repairing the roof which was an absolute miracle for me because it meant the spiked fencing which surrounded the site was open in spots. I snuck past them and luckily enough, some of the wood covering the doorways had been taken off to allow access so I ran in without being seen. For the next three or so hours it was a constant game of cat and mouse, as workers were all over the building. At one point, I had to hide in a cupboard as they walked past the room I was in. It was worth it for the photographs though and I hope you enjoy.
Check out my Facebook for more locations
https://www.facebook.com/sammilphotos/
This asylum I've wanted to get at for years and I was lucky enough to get in.
The Hospital
Construction took place between 1863 to 1866, with an official opening in 1868. Built by James Bell (1829-83) and James Barry Farrell (1810-93). The hospital was built in Italianate style for a sum of £40'000 which was a huge sum at the time.
The building itself is extremely impressive, being a three-story towering asylum with five towers and an overall floor area of 12,077sq m (130,000sq ft).
When it opened, there were only 70 patients but within a short time the numbers had climbed to 280 after patients were moved there from a range of prisons and asylums around the country.
By 1915, the numbers had peaked at 570 patients – as well as 350 staff – because of the arrival of casualties from the trenches in the Great War. The institution had its own church, its own farm, its own graveyard, its own power station, its own tailors, bakers and cobblers.
Towards the end of the 20th century, ways to treat mental illness had changed drastically. No longer were the days of padded cells and straight jackets, as drugs originally developed to combat the effects of malaria had proved effective in dealing with depression. There was soon no need to lock so many up in what had become officially known as 'The Mental Hospital' and later St. Senan's Psychiatric Hospital.
The facility began winding down operations, and moving patients to other facilities around the country. In 2010, there were only beds for just 85 patients, a number that has come tumbling down from twice that a couple of years prior.
Its closed its door to the last patient on April 18th 2013.
Since its closure, in 2017 it was on the market for €780,000 which works out as 6 per square foot.
And in 2018 a consortium of four local businessmen took possession of the building a year ago and in that time, they've been carrying work out on fixing the roof and securing the site ahead of reaching the planning phase to install approximately 60 luxury apartments in the protected building.
Work has been slow at the site due to the massive scale of the project. There was another major setback in their ongoing remedial works at the iconic building, after thieves broke in, scaled one of the towers and stripped it of copper and lead, causing an estimated €100,000 worth of damage in the process.
The Exploration.
At the site there were 28 CCTV cameras, and I had tried twice in the past to gain access but both times I was caught by private security. Both times I had friends with me but the third time I decided to go alone to see if that would make it easier to get in. When I got to the location, there were builders on site repairing the roof which was an absolute miracle for me because it meant the spiked fencing which surrounded the site was open in spots. I snuck past them and luckily enough, some of the wood covering the doorways had been taken off to allow access so I ran in without being seen. For the next three or so hours it was a constant game of cat and mouse, as workers were all over the building. At one point, I had to hide in a cupboard as they walked past the room I was in. It was worth it for the photographs though and I hope you enjoy.
Check out my Facebook for more locations
https://www.facebook.com/sammilphotos/
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