The history and heritage of St James's Hospital, Dublin
(Print Material)

The history of St James's Hospital stretches back to 1703 when an act was passed to build a workhouse on its site. Just under thirty years later a foundling hospital was added to the workhouse. The opening chapters of this book discuss this period and the pitiful treatment of abandoned children. When the Foundling Hospital was closed in 1829 the buildings were used to house the South Dublin Union Workhouse. The workhouse played a crucial role during the Great Famine, giving shelter to thousands of starving people. The buildings of the workhouse were commandeered by the 4th Battalion of the Irish Volunteers during Easter Week 1916.