‘Hard Hat’ tour of Enniskillen Workhouse opens door to bygone days

28th June 2021

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Hard hat tour 1

100 Primary 7 pupils from Holy Trinity Primary School in Enniskillen comprised the first group of students to view the stripped back entrance block to Enniskillen Workhouse as part of a ‘Hard Hat’ tour organised by Fermanagh and Omagh District Council’s Fermanagh County Museum.

Although the Museum, located at Enniskillen Castle, has been facilitating tours of the workhouse and Paupers’ graveyard for the last 15 years, this is the first time a tour has been able to access the inside of the workhouse building.

With restoration work currently ongoing to transform the entrance block of Enniskillen Workhouse into a new heritage and business enterprise hub, the building is being stripped back to its original form.

The restoration of the workhouse is a £3.25m project being delivered by Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, in partnership with South West College and funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and both partners.

Original fireplaces, windows, hearths and other key architectural features have been revealed for the first time in decades with children now having the opportunity to view the interior of the workhouse building, allowing them to see where thousands of people spent their time, as part of the overall tour experience.

The ‘Hard Hat’ tour was facilitated by Catherine Scott, Fermanagh and Omagh District Council’s Learning and Access Officer at Fermanagh County Museum.

Speaking about the tour, Catherine said:

“As ​part of the Museum’s education programme the children have been learning about the famine period and the workhouse system. Before Christmas we visited the workhouse, but only from the outside looking in. This time, all with our hard hats on, we were able to go inside the building. This meant that the children could get a feel for the place, a sense of the scale and an opportunity to learn about the workhouse, in a workhouse; a truly unique learning experience.

The recent works have revealed concealed elements of the history of the people who lived and worked there. The museum already holds 15 singular shoes found in the attic of the workhouse entrance block in the 1990s. On the day before the ‘Hard Hat’ tours, the contractors uncovered another “concealed” singular shoe; the practice of concealing singular shoes has a long history and is linked with much superstition. On the day of the tours the children and accompanying adults, were able to see the shoe, long past repair. Such shoes found in the house evoke a strong sense of the emotion linked with those people who lived and died in the workhouse.”

When the project is complete, people will be able to visit Enniskillen Workhouse to learn about the fabric of the buildings and the stories of the people who lived there through a heritage trail and a mixed-use exhibition, reminiscence and display space with a range of artefacts from the original workhouse on display within their original home. The remaining space will be used as a business innovation and enterprise hub.

The Enniskillen Workhouse project is due to complete in Summer 2022.

For further information on the workhouse or to share your memories or recollections of the workhouse, please contact Catherine Scott at Fermanagh County Museum on 028 6632 5000.

Fermanagh County Museum and Visitor Information Centre at Enniskillen Castle is open Monday to Sunday. Museum tours – showcasing Co. Fermanagh’s unique heritage – may be booked online by visiting www.enniskillencastle.co.uk