Clifden Poor Law Union archive collection, Descriptive List, GPL3.pdf

Clifden Poor Law Union
clothing in the Workhouse being in the hands of the Sherriff‟ (GPL3/10, p239). Nine people
had died in the workhouse that week.
The Clifden Board of Guardians was constantly in financial difficulty, finding it difficult to collect
rates and at the same time provide relief, particularly in times of distress. Even after the Great
Famine, the Union suffered from periods of immense distress, such as in 1867, the late 1870s,
the early 1880s, in 1890 and 1894, and also between 1904 and 1905.
In 1867, for example, the Board drew the Commissioners‟ attention to the „…present distress
now prevailing in this Union almost bordering on famine…’ (GPL3/35, f236). Some years later,
in October 1896, the Board of the ‘...lamentable condition of the country owing to the great
losses sustained by the tenant farmers by reason of the almost total destruction of their crops
by recent heavy rains and unusually inclement season…Clifden Union one of the poorest and
most heavily taxed unions in Ireland…‟(GPL3/81, p47). The Board outlined to the Local
Government Board (LGB) that it was one of the poorest Unions in the county and was
constantly in a grim condition, with wretched poverty throughout the district.
In January 1850 the Board had to withdraw outdoor relief ‘…for want of funds‟ but ordered that
their Relieving Officers be supplied with a small portion of meal ‘...to enable them to give relief
to the most urgent cases in order to save life…’ (GPL3/10, p272). Furthermore the Board
pointed out to the PLC that even if all the outstanding rates were collected their position would
‘....be very little bettered. That every step, the Law admits of being taken for the recovery of
those debts has already been taken, and that this Board wash their hands of all the
consequences of death and the seizure and sale of the property belonging to this Union
arising from the present want and future deficiency of funds’ (GPL3/10, p 278). The PLC
provided an initial sum of £70, and later a second sum of £200 to assist with „...meeting the
necessities of the Union’ and thus allowing supplies to be obtained for outdoor relief (GPL3/10
p280). Further monies were submitted in the following weeks, some obtained by the sale of
goods at auction at the workhouse.
The Board resolved in February 1850 to take steps to acquire further indoor accommodation in
order that outdoor relief could cease (GPL3/10, p318). At that time 3,767 persons were in
receipt of outdoor relief.
In May 1867 the Board drew the Commissioners‟ attention to the „…present distress now
prevailing in this Union almost bordering on famine with a view that the Government would
take some steps to alleviate it as the Guardians feel they will not be able to cope with the
distress now existing‟ (GPL3/35, f236). At that time there were 158 inmates in the workhouse,
with one death, and 18 cases receiving outdoor relief. By 15 th May the number in the
workhouse increased to 182. They further wrote that „…this district is in a state of the utmost
Cartlann Chomhairle Contae na Gaillimhe „…cuimhne dhoiciméadach Chontae na Gaillimhe a shealbhú, a chaomhnú agus a dhéanamh inrochtana’
Galway County Council - Archives „…to acquire, preserve and make accessible the documentary memory of county Galway’
x.